Butterfly Kisses
by Zuri-kun
Summary: A slight AU from 100 years ago - Urahara's exile. When Yoruichi asks Soi to come too, how will things change? As Soi's hero worship slowly fades, a growing friendship might have a chance at becoming something more.
1. Exile

this is one of my favorite pairings ever. not cause imma perv, but because i see these two as really complimenting each other's character. and they're just adorably cute together!

standard disclaimer, i don't own bleach characters. don't sue me, blood from a turnip. yeah..

A young girl, or at least a girl who appeared young, stepped through the Senkai gate, her black locks framing a gentle face that was currently very pale. Her slate gray eyes peeked around the shoulders of the two people in front of her, both of whom had white haoris draped over their shoulders. She stepped up bravely next to the dark-skinned woman with short spiked purple hair.

"Y-Yoruichi-sama, where are we?"

The woman in question turned her bright yellow eyes to the girl and flashed her a wide grin. The girl had been around her mistress long enough to know that this time it was forced.

"Can't say I know for sure, Little Bee!" As always, this nickname made the girl blush, and she looked down to hide it. Yoruichi turned to the other white-cloaked person, a young man with sandy blond hair. "Yo Urahara, where'd you drag us to, huh?" The man didn't respond right away, his eyes shutting slowly and hiding their haunted and depressed look from the world. Yoruichi watched him for a moment, her smiling countenance slowly dropping into a look of deep sadness. She turned back to the smaller girl and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't know Soi, I just don't know… But we're going to make the best of this, okay?" Soi Fong just nodded and looked back up at her. She thought back to earlier today, and the whirlwind of events that changed her life forever.

_Soi Fong was sprinting as fast as she could for her goddess's chambers. Sweat ran down her face, not from exertion but instead from fear, an all-encompassing fear that the rumors were true – Shihouin Yoruichi, her commander, her queen, her everything…_

_Yoruichi was gone._

_'It can't be true!' Her mind was screaming at her as she ran, hoping that in just a few seconds she'd throw the door open and see her favorite person slouched in her chair, stretching out like a big lazy feline. She'd be embarrassed and apologize profusely, then run back and kick all those Shinigami's asses for lying to her._

_No way was Yoruichi a traitor! It wasn't possible, not the woman who trained her, taught her to fight… The woman who smiled at her, even poked gentle fun at her for being too stuffy... The woman whose protection had become her purpose in life, why she woke up in the morning and why she slept at night… The woman who trusted her to guard her while she slept, her head resting gently in Soi's lap... She threw the door open wide, an apology already on her hopeful lips…_

_And came face to face with an empty room._

_Soi's stomach felt like it feel out of her body and her knees went weak. She felt her whole world crashing around her. The person she valued most, who she gave her whole life to… The person she would always…_

_"S-Soi…" She felt a hand on her shoulder and spun lightning fast to find herself face to face with Yoruichi, who was currently pale and slightly wide -eyed. She gasped and nearly threw herself on the older woman, ready to cast aside all her well ingrained formality, but the next words from Yoruichi's mouth halted her._

_"Soi, I have to go, now! T-There's not a lot of time to explain!"_

_"Y-Yoruichi-sama, what's-"_

_"Soi, do you trust me?"_

_She froze up yet again, looking up and taking in Yoruichi's current appearance for the first time. Her captain's haori was torn in several places and her spiky purple hair was limp with sweat. She was breathing hard, as if she had been running a marathon. This scared Soi even more; she had heard Yoruichi's nickname whispered by fellow Shinigami – the Goddess of Flash. What on earth could make Yoruichi, possibly the fastest person in Soul Society, out of breath? She swallowed hard and stood a littler straighter. She was scared, yes. But she never had to even think in order to know her answer._

_"Hai, Yoruichi-sama. I'll alwa-"_

_"Will you come with me, Soi?"_

_Soi fought down a gasp. Were the rumors true then? Was Yoruichi a traitor to Soul Society? Soi frowned and shook those thoughts away. Her Yoruichi-sama would never betray Soul Society! She realized what was being asked of her and her heart raced faster._

_Yoruichi-sama wanted her to come with her. Yoruichi-sama trusted her! Her, Soi, nothing more than a servant, but of all the Shinigami under Yoruichi, _she_ was asked. Her heart swelled and Soi knew then that she'd do anything for the one who she all but worshipped._

_"H-Hai Yoruichi-sama… I-I'll follow you anywh-"_

_"Then we need to go NOW!" Soi didn't have time to ponder how she kept getting cut off whenever she spoke today. Her mind temporarily shut down when Yoruichi lunged forward and scooped her smaller frame up. The moment of shock became decidedly worse however as a fiery explosion rocked the building they were in, incinerating the entryway…_

_The entryway they had been in moments ago. Yoruichi Shihouin wasn't called the Goddess of Flash for nothing. From her position in the older woman's arms, Soi Fong could see behind them as they flash stepped away. The Second Division Taichou's office was kindling for a massive fireball, the only discernible feature being the form of Captain-Commander Yamamoto, his aged face set in a deep scowl as his Zanpakuto conducted the burning symphony. Soi Fong was stunned; the Captain-Commander himself was hunting them?! She squeaked as she felt kido blasts going off around them, paling as she looked down. Yoruichi was spiriting her away from what looked like the whole of the Gotei 13! She thanked any higher power listening that Yoruichi-sama was this fast; she actually saw herself in the purple-haired taichou's arms as shades behind them. The shunpo-induced fakes were drawing enough fire to give them a chance to escape, and after a few minutes Soi noticed that they had pulled away significantly. She turned and looked ahead, seeing the plaza surrounding the Senkai gate ahead of them. Yoruichi landed and set her down gently, but before Soi could get her balance completely back she felt Yoruichi-sama's hand around her wrist as she was dragged forward towards a very frightened and haggard looking Urahara Kisuke._

_"Get the damn gate open Kisuke!" Yoruichi was screaming at him as they ran up alongside him. He jumped and nodded, working fast to open the gate. After a very tense minute it began to slide open. The three of them were through before the gate was even halfway there._

Yoruichi smiled gently at Soi and ruffled her hair. '_It's a real smile this time_,' Soi thought absently to herself, before nearly squeaking and bowing repeatedly as she realized she'd been staring right at Yoruichi-sama this whole time. Only remembering Yoruichi-sama's frustration over formalities stopped her, but she could still only partially contain her embarrassed blush.

"I think we can set up here." Both girls whipped around to look at Urahara, who had yet to speak. His voice almost cracked and he was speaking very quietly, a shocking display of negative emotion for anyone who knew the man. Soi turned to look out at the village they were in.

The houses were mostly wooden where they were, but upon looking farther out there were signs of better materials being used. People were dressed quite traditionally as they bustled about, though many looked to be somewhat poor. The town seemed as though it could have been a clone of one of the middle districts of Rukongai – old, but not ancient.

"Sign says this place is called Karakura Town," Urahara jerked his thumb at a sign close by. "It'll take be a few days to whip us up some gigais, and then we'll go about finding a place to live." Yoruichi nodded took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly and shedding her Captain's haori. She turned to Soi, who was still in shock just a little over everything that had just occurred.

"Hey, Soi?"

"H-Hai, Yoruichi-sama?"

"I'm really glad you came with us."

well, there you go! i'm working on chapter 4 as of posting this, i'm not going to upload any more yet though. i like to not feel rushed, but i wanted to test the waters for the story and see if people liked the premise. if i get a massive response i might break my little rule, but i'm working on another bleach fic and trying to revise an original story too. so lemme know what you think and you're promised 2 more chapters even if i fail miserably at writing more!

bai bais!


	2. Getting Settled

O.O

i'm honestly still in shock over the response i've gotten. thank you all so much!! i've actually put my other story on the back burner to work on this one now, you guys are amazing. if this project keeps getting this much attention you might get updates twice a week! grins

i put this out real early as a thank you, i was gonna wait till monday or late next week but you all convinced me. i'm gonna try to get a bit further ahead in my writing so i can put another chapter or two out soon. it's finals week (.) so i'm going to be a bit busy, and i'll be in JAMACIA next week!! so i might be a titch slow, but i promise one more chapter at least by friday, and another one once i get back in the country and settled. the chapters eventually get a little longer too.

Kisuke is fun to write. XD i love him, but as the only boy in the group, he's my target for comic relief, hehe. i'll shut up now, enjoy your treat!

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The next several days passed in a blur for the trio. Soi was relegated to petty thievery for food due to her small stature. When she protested, Yoruichi just grinned and told her it'd be good practice. "After all," she claimed, "we've gotta keep our Little Bee in top form! Maybe you'll be as fast as me someday!" Soi could only blush and nod; it just wasn't in her nature to refuse Yoruichi-sama. It was easy work anyways, since no one could see her. Still she worked on her speed, determined to do her best to impress her mistress.

In the meantime, Urahara had been working hard on a set of gigais, despite a total lack of materials aside from whatever was shoved into his pockets. It seemed to have been enough though, to Yoruichi's and Soi's complete befuddlement, and after about three days the group could at least pass for citizens of the living world.

"Nice digs, Kisuke!" Yoruichi grinned as she examined her outfit, which bore a near perfect resemblance to her Shinigami garb. "How'd you do this without materials?"

"Oh, I've got my ways," Urahara said quietly, his good-natured smile still not present on his face. His hand briefly darted out, snatching a white paper fan from a table on the side of the road. Soi frowned slightly as he flicked it open, fanning himself and keeping his face partially hidden. "What?" he asked, noticing her look, "We're poor now, kiddo. Best get used to it. Besides, you've been stealing food, have you not?" Soi flinched a little, frowning more.

"T-That's different, you don't need that thing!" He just shrugged, but an elbow in his side silenced him before he could bite out a retort.

"Don't mind him today Bee-chan, he's just being a pain," Yoruichi smiled wide and snitched an apple from a passing cart, too fast for passers-by to see, and took a big bite into it. Soi just sighed; it seemed that Yoruichi was never short of a new embarrassing nickname for her.

"Y-Yoruichi-sama, what are we-"

"Soi, you can call me Yoruichi, you know. Hell you can call me Yoru-kun, I don't care! Stop being so stuffy," the princess laughed as she ruffled the younger girl's hair. Soi tried to duck away, nearly swatting at the goddess's hand, but stopping herself from committing such an impolite act.

"Yoruichi-_sama_," she ground out a little harsher that intended, "what are we going to do for housing? Surely we aren't going to sleep in that alley again now that people can see us. What if they're following us, looking for us? We'll be too obvious like that!"

"Well at least I stopped the stutter.." Yoruichi grumbled playfully as she took another bite of the apple.

"Grrr!"

"Hey, relax Little Bee, Kisuke's cooking something up," she giggled a little, grinning over at the frustrated girl beside her. "Uhh… right, Kisuke?" Soi groaned and dropped her head into her hands.

"Don't worry, I'll get us a place to stay," the man said, fanning himself again. "In fact, how about that place?" He pointed to a small two story wooden house just ahead, a small dirt alley leading to the entrance around back. Yoruichi blanched a little.

"Umm, isn't that place, you know, taken?" She gestured to the open window upstairs, which made it pretty obvious the house was occupied. Soi rolled her eyes.

"Details, details," Urahara waved her off as they strolled around back. On the front porch was a little old woman, her hair up in a bun, sweeping off the steps. They stopped, the girls turning to Kisuke and waiting. He took a deep breath…

And as he snapped his fan shut, the biggest, gaudiest possible smile adorned his face as she strode forward.

"Good morning miss! And how are you this fine day?" he exclaimed as he walked forward, bowing then taking her hand and kissing the back of it. "It's truly a lovely day isn't it? A fine day for business! I have a wonderful proposition, I'm sure you'll find it most beneficial, after all, I'd never offer such a thing to anyone but a charming, young beautiful-" He drifted out of hearing range as he guided the woman inside her own home, shutting the door behind him. Soi's jaw was hanging just a little, and Yoruichi just shook her head and sighed.

"That man could sell water to a fish, I swear," she grumbled. Soi turned to her slowly.

"Did he just… put the moves on an old woman?!" All pretenses of formality were forgotten by now.

"It's like a bad romance novel, isn't it?" Yoruichi sighed, shaking her head. Soi cocked an eyebrow.

"And how might I ask you know about those?" Yoruichi froze for a moment, then just grinned big.

"Glad to see you loosening up some, my little bee.." She winked saucily at the smaller girl and sauntered toward the door, leaving a sputtering Soi behind.

"W-Wha?! Yoruichi-sama!" She blushed and ran after the older woman as Yoruichi threw the doors open, revealing a long living room/dining room area with two levels separated by a few steps. The old woman and a man, presumably her husband, were standing with packed bags, Urahara standing in front of them and slipping something into his robe sleeve.

"Take care now, enjoy your vacation! We'll take care of the place, your investment is a secure one!" He spoke loudly and excitedly, nearly pushing them out the door. "Goodbye, sayonara, bon voyage, so loooaahh!" He yelped as Yoruichi pulled him back and reached up his sleeve.

"You MEMORY MODIFIED THEM?!" she screeched, appearing to tower over the cowering man.

"Y-Yoruichi-san, it was just a little-"

"DON'T YOU YOURICHI-SAN ME!" Soi could only watch in shock as the sandy haired man ran in circles through the living area, hands in the air while her mistress beat him over the head with the modifier.


	3. My Taichou, My Friend

this is/will be the shortest chapter in the story, i promise. from here on out they'll be a bit longer, i'm starting to get into this story more and it's taking on a life of its own. thank you so much to my reviewers, i read each one and each one makes me smile. enjoy this chapter and look forward to another on friday, it'll be the last one for almost a week while i'm snorkeling and surfing in jamacia, hehe. i'll see if i can get some story ideas while i'm there. maybe some kind of beach trip? -grins-

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The house was set up in short order into comfortable living arrangements. The living room area was cleared out and made into a small store, with one of the four downstairs bedrooms becoming the new living area. Each of the three ended up with their own room, with the upstairs being left alone for the time being. Currently they were all sitting in the small kitchen area, where the table was. Urahara was a surprisingly good cook when it came to simple things, and he managed to make a serviceable yet small breakfast, which Yoruichi was wolfing down at inhuman speed.

"I don't see why we have to call it 'Urahara Shoten,' Kisuke," the tan goddess mumbled between bites, "We're all gonna help run this place, ain't we?" Soi quietly watched her mistress, Yoruichi's lips marked with a few stray pieces of rice, her hair slightly tangled from sleep.

_'She even looks like a goddess when she eats,'_ the girl thought to herself, before nearly squeaking out loud and clamping down on her straying mind. _'I don't like Yoruichi-sama like that! She's my mistress, my capt-… well, my former captain, but still!'_ Soi shook her head and looked up, blushing bright and looking right back down when she caught Yoruichi's inquisitive gaze on her.

"Simple Yoruichi-san, the deed to the building is in my name, so it only makes sense!" Urahara flipped his fan open, the movement much smoother than last time. Soi wondered if he practiced that when he was alone.

"It's only in your name because you conned the owners out of it, you dirty thief!" Yoruichi grumbled as she conked the man with her rice bowl. He yelped and frowned at her.

"Con is such a harsh word! I prefer 'expertly negotiated.' What do you think, Soi-kun?" He turned to the other girl, who stared at him.

"I think you're a thief," she deadpanned. Yoruichi grinned and ruffled her hair again, earning a squeak and a blush.

"See? Now get the damn shop stocked, you dirty thief! Soi and I are going out to explore the town!" she exclaimed as she hopped up.

"You are?"

"We are?" But before Soi could protest or question she was hauled up and out the door, leaving a slightly confused Kisuke behind.

_'Well that was sudden. Hmmm, perhaps I'll get started on my other project.'_

The two Shinigami walked side by side through the small business district of Karakura. This was at Yoruichi's insistence, of course; Soi had a habit of walking a pace or so behind her mistress, and this was a habit Yoruichi had every intention of breaking.

"Some town we ended up in, huh?" the taller woman said idly, once again snitching food off a passing cart. She handed half the poached bread loaf to Soi, who didn't complain and bit in. Breakfast was meager, after all; they'd yet to get the shop running, so stealing was still the order of the day.

"A-Arigatou, Yoruichi-sama.." Yoruichi sighed a little.

"Soi, why are you so stuck on being formal with me," she asked, not unkindly, "You know it bugs me." Soi swallowed once and took a deep breath. _'Why do I always get like this around her? Why am I so nervous?'_

"B-Because it's proper, Yoruichi-sama. You're my commander, and as your subordinate i-it's my duty to be your-"

"Friend." Soi nearly stumbled, turning and just barely looking at her taichou.

"N-Nani?"

"Soi," Yoruichi seemed to trail off, sighing once and collecting her thoughts. "I didn't bring you along because I needed a servant, I brought you along because I needed a friend. I've always enjoyed spending time with you, but you're so darn stuffy sometimes that it's hard to just relax!" Soi couldn't help the blush on her cheeks; her mind was still working overtime to process what she was hearing. _'Yoruichi-sama likes spending time with me?'_

"Of everyone under me, I saw the most potential in you. I trained you personally because I wanted you to feel equal to me one day. We didn't get to finish though, did we?" she turned, smiling a little. Soi felt a nearly overwhelming urge to smile back, but she was still paralyzed by shock.

"Tell you what, Little Bee," she said, wrapping her arm around her shoulders, "I'll keep training you, and when you can beat me, call me what you want. Until then, no more formalities, okay?" The smaller girl almost squeaked, keeping her head down to hide her dark red cheeks.

_'Y-Yoruichi-sama w-wants to be my _friend_? And she wants me to be as strong as her?'_

"B-But-"

"No buts, Soi," the older woman squeezed her gently and turned Soi to face her, gently using her finger to lift her chin up. "I'm not a captain anymore, okay? It's… kind of hard to hear those titles right now…" Yoruichi's face darkened, making Soi's heart twist a little in her chest. "So do this for me, alright? Just be my friend now?"

_'You'll always be my Taichou, Yoruichi-sama… But I can do this, for you. I never thought about how much it must hurt you to lose everything… I'll be your servant still, but I'll try my best to be your friend first, I promise…'_

"H-Hai, Y-Yoruichi…" The taller woman smiled brightly and threw her arms around Soi, hugging her briefly and then grinning back down at her. "B-But no promises I won't forget sometimes," the younger girl stuttered, blushing. Yoruichi stared for a moment, then burst out laughing gently.

"See? I knew you had spunk, kid! Now come on, let's go back and see what that clown Kisuke's gotten himself into."


	4. Urahara Shoten, Open!

i promised longer chapters, i hope this is a bit better! i'll have another one out either when i come back from my cruise or next friday. i'm a bit behind on writing this story because of finals week, and i want to stay ahead in case i hit writer's block. i've taken waaaay too long off of stories before when that happens and i refuse to do that for this one, i love these two too much.

thank you to everyone who reviewed, the more i get the more inclined i am to post early, hehe.

i love picking on kisuke. he's awesome, but he's so goofy that it's just too easy to make him the victim. XD and i'm pretty sure a looooot of you are going to enjoy some of the imagery in this chapter.

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Both girls were frozen in place by confusion upon their return.

"Y-Yoruichi-sa-" Soi caught herself, remembering to dispense with the title.

"Yes Soi?"

"Why is digging up our floor?"

"I was about to ask if you knew…"

"You've known him longer…"

"With Kisuke that doesn't really matter…"

The man in question was currently about waist-deep into the ground, dirt mounded in piles all over the back room, the floorboards appearing to be hacked out of the ground, or pried up. He wiped some imaginary sweat from his brow and turned with a cheery wave.

"Good evening ladies, how was your tri-aaaaugh!" Soi shook her head and sighed. Well, to her credit, Yoruichi-sama was certainly a good shot with a rice bowl. At it was rather funny to watch her chase Urahara, screaming and beating him with the shovel handle. Soi leaned against the wall and watched; a small smile came unbidden to her lips as she saw her former captain wreak unholy destruction on the strange researcher.

_'Yoruichi-sama… It's amazing how you can always be in control, even when you're not fighting an enemy,'_ the younger girl smiled a little more, flushing slightly as she caught the look on Yoruichi's face. _'She really does look like a goddess when she's angry, but I can see a little smile on her face; the way the corner of your mouth turns up just a little bit, even while you frown. You're enjoying this, aren't you Yoruichi-sama? Her smile is so beautif-'_ Soi's thoughts were cut short as she saw Yoruichi's enquiring gaze resting on her.

"Soi? Are you alright?" Soi nearly yelped out loud, jumping and standing up taller.

"Y-yes!" she cried out, a little too loud. Yoruichi's look of curiosity deepened. "I-I… ummm… still in shock," she stuttered out.

"That's not even a sentence, Soi-kun," Urahara pointed out.

THWACK

"Ahhh!"

Wow. Soi was a better shot with a rice bowl than she thought she was.

Once the violence was finally settled, Urahara explained that the hole was part of his new project. When the girls questioned him further, the blond man simply grinned and waggled his finger.

"Ah ah aaaah, you'll see in due time," he admonished playfully, nearly skipping out of the room. Soi turned slowly to follow his movements, confusion etched on her face.

"How do you deal with that man?" she half mumbled. Yoruichi caught it.

"He is a strange one, isn't he?" she replied, walking over and placing her arm on Soi's shoulder. "I'm glad to see him smiling again though, when Kisuke's not being a weirdo, it just feels wrong, you know?" Soi felt a small pang of something unpleasant when she heard the way her Yoruichi-sama spoke about their male accomplice.

Wait – _her_ Yoruichi-sama?

Soi's confusing train of thought was cut short as Kisuke reappeared in the room, grinning more with something behind his back.

"Well! Did you notice the store's all set up?"

Both girls shook their heads in the negative. The sight of their kitchen had pretty much erased it from their minds. Urahara grinned wider.

"Well it iiiiiiis! And in a few more days I'll have something set up to help us run it too," he exclaimed, appearing very proud of himself. Urahara had set his new lab up upstairs, and the girls had stayed out of there for their own safety. Who knew how he got all those wires and those huge glass tubes and computer banks? Soi figured he was either a magician when he was alive or he kept a black hole in his pocket.

"But," could his grin get any wider? "Until then, we need someone to assist the customers! And I believe that person should be… Our very own Soi-kun!"

"And why should I do it?" Soi huffed, crossing her arms and glaring at the strange man. Kisuke finally pulled out what was behind his back with a flourish.

"Because Soi-kun is the only one of us who can fit into this!" In his hands was a black French maid's dress; it was outlined with loads of white lace and appeared to have a small white apron sewn to the front as well. The hem of the dress flared out at about the knees, making it appear far shorter than it was. Soi felt her face heating up and her temper rising; who gave a damn if she didn't have a shikai, she'd burst out of her body and spit roast him… Her regular sword was plenty to get the job done-

"Oh wow, I love it!" Yoruichi was at Kisuke's side, examining the dress with a wide smile. Soi blanched as she watched her former mistress fawning over the dress, nearly squealing at the frilly lace. She turned to Soi with wide expressive eyes that seemed to beg, _'Pleeeeease, for me?'_

Soi sighed. She was screwed.

The crowd was rather large for the opening of a confectionary shop in a developing city. Most of the people were staring at the odd choice of clothes the clerk was wearing, rather than browsing the isles. Said clerk was currently helping a small elderly lady, who was remarking how reasonable the prices were. Her face was fixed in a smile that the old woman failed to notice was rather forced, and her nails were nearly digging into her palms enough to draw blood.

_'I'm going to kill him. I'm going to feed him to the stay dogs. I'm going to scoop up the remains and burn them. I'm going to-' _The object of said hatred was standing at the back of the shop, grinning widely and watching the show. The bronze goddess beside him was watching as well, but her face wasn't quite as readable.

"You were born to do this job, Soi-kun," Urahara called out, trying to hold back a snicker.

"Don't you have some cleaning to do?" Soi ground out, her death glare so pointed that the man squawked and escaped to the kitchen to attend to the mess. Yoruichi was laughing too hard to stand at this.

_'Why me? That stupid pervert forces me in this dress, they're all staring at me, the damn thing itches-'_ Soi's newest rant was cut off as she felt a soft hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw Yoruichi standing beside her, an understanding smile on her face.

"Hey, need a little help?" The older woman squeezed Soi's shoulder gently, making her blush, but she managed a small almost pleading smile and a nod back. Yoruichi turned to the crowd with a commanding look and strode forward. Within minutes she had approached each and every bystander individually and they were either buying something or beating a hasty retreat from the store. Soi grinned to herself and went to work the cash drawer; Yoruichi-sama had the ability to scare people to the bone when she wanted to, in this case especially the men who seemed to be leering at Soi. Not one of them remained, and the small girl was thankful for the protection. She didn't catch the look Yoruichi had used on those men; she wouldn't have wanted to either.

"I wonder if Kisuke got the room all cleaned up or not," Yoruichi commented idly as the pair closed down the store. They had made enough money to feed themselves for a week, and both were feeling quite pleased with themselves.

"I hope he fell in that hole and buried himself," Soi grumbled, but with a bit of a smile when she heard Yoruichi laugh. The taller woman tossed a small candy at Soi playfully.

"Was it really that bad, Little Bee?" she grinned. Soi threw the candy back, laughing too.

"No…" she sighed, defeated. _'But only because of how much you liked it, Yoruichi-sama,'_ she finished mentally. Yoruichi smiled and bounded over, hugging the smaller girl and making her squeak and blush.

"See? I knew you'd come around," she giggled, ruffling her hair. "You know…" Yoruichi examined Soi for a moment, making her blush more. She suddenly reached out and pulled some of Soi's hair back, studying her.

"Yep! If we pull some of your hair back and trim the front, we could be twins!" Yoruichi exclaimed, shaking her spiky purple locks around a little. Soi's eyes widened. Where had that come from? "Come on, it'll be fun," The taller woman continued, running her fingers through Soi's hair some. Soi blushed as she felt warm all over at her touch, nodding.

"O-okay Yoruichi, s-sounds like fun," she got out. Yoruichi smiled wider and hugged her again, her excitement almost palpable.

"Deal! We'll go do it tomorrow! Let's go pick on Kisuke tonight, I'm sick of working," she grinned devilishly. Soi returned the grin; she had some payback to extract from that man anyways.


	5. Tag, You're It!

chapter 5 right on time! hehe, i really enjoyed this one too. Kisuke-based humor writes itself, i swear. oh, and if anyone read Bleach this week you'll understand why i'm kinda pissed about Tessai. how do i work him in now?! grrrrr... oh wells, either this becomes more AU or i have to do a bit of brainstorming. he'll be a few chapters off at best regardless, and he's just a minor character anyways. i can't write good tessai or jinta or uruyu (however you spell her name, lol). i might leave em out. whatevs, i'm rambling. this one's even longer than chapter 4, enjoy!

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Kisuke kicked the girls out again the next morning, saying he had some research to attend to and he'd be opening the shop himself. They shrugged; if he wanted to open the shop with that much hair missing from his head, so be it. Yoruichi was so excited over Soi's little makeover that hair-revenge on Urahara had seemed the perfect plan for "picking on him". They grabbed a wad of money from the drawer and left to find a barber shop.

Soi sighed.

"Yoruichi, you're drawing stares."

No response.

clink clink

"Yoruichi, stop it! I swear, did you want me to get my hair cut just for this?"

Still nothing.

clink clink

Dammit, why did Soi feel like a parent suddenly? She sighed, then grinned evilly.

"Yoru-kun!" she yelled, spinning and fixing the woman behind her with a glare. Her new spiky locks bounced a little, framing her face, and the two braids running down her back to her shoulder blades bounced together, clinking again from the hoops tied to the end. The older woman froze in shock, one hand extended out to bat the rings again, looking up at Soi with a mix of innocence and curiosity. Soi tried not to blush at the cute, nearly catlike appearance of her friend.

"My hair is not a toy!" she exclaimed, receiving a slightly sheepish look in return.

"Heh heh, sorry Soi, but they're so shiny!" Soi sighed and shook her head. Why did she agree to this again?

_'Because of how happy it made her,'_ a quiet voice teased from the back of her head. Soi blushed and continued back to the shop, failing to push from her mind the happy smile on Yoruichi's face when she saw the rings in the store window. _'You love that smile, and you love being the one who causes it,'_ the voice continued, making Soi shake her head some to clear it. Leave it to Yoruichi to literally drive her mad.

"Soi," Yoruichi grinned as she caught up to her, "did you just call me Yoru-kun?"

* * *

When they arrived back, they found the store still closed. Stepping in, they found a grinning Urahara in the kitchen to greet them.

"You're back! Good good, I have a surprise for you!" They both stared.

He was dressed in a green and white striped… _something_, with a matching bucket hat and clogs. The silence stretched for about 12 seconds before Yoruichi fell on the floor, curling up and laughing.

"H-Holy s-s-shit!" she cried out, tearing rolling down her face as she pounded her hand on the floor, "You look like a c-caaandy caaane!" Soi stuffed her fist in her mouth to try and hold it in but failed miserably, leaning against the wall for support as she laughed. Yoruichi-sama's joy was contagious.

_'When she laughs like that I feel like nothing can make me sad,' _she thought to herself. This time she didn't have the heart to chase it away.

Urahara huffed and stuffed his arms in his sleeves. "Fine," he grumbled, "I'll dump the shirt but I'm keeping the hat. Not like I've got a choice," he mumbled the last bit under his breath. Yoruichi slowly recovered and stood up shakily, leaning against wall for support and wiping her eyes, her body brushing against Soi's for a moment. Soi shivered just a little as she felt Yoruichi's body against hers; she ignored the fleeting thought that she'd like to feel it again.

_'Get over yourself! She's hugged you before, dammit, and you're just getting comfortable with her as a friend,'_ she chastised herself. _'How can you possibly like her that way?'_ Soi had to ignore the thousand reasons that instantly came to mind, each clamoring over the other for attention. She blushed and sighed, still not ready to accept that Yoruichi could make her feel this way. Soi missed what Yoruichi and Urahara were talking about while she was lost in thought, until she heard a scream and saw a rice bowl connect with Urahara's head again.

"BE POLITE AND COMPLIMENT SOI'S HAIR!" the bronze woman screamed out. Yoruichi turned and grinned at Soi. "That's two to one, I'm winning," she grinned wider.

"Don't tell me you're keeping score?!" The blond man cried from the floor, grabbing his hat and jamming it back on his head.

"He's right, he does need it," both girls said at once, eyes wide at Urahara's head, which looked like it had lost a fight with a few razors. It hadn't looked that bad in the dark, when they had snuck in to do it. They looked at each other, then broke into giggles at the same time.

"Now, if you're quite finished," the striped man continued, leaping up and sending a pointed glare at them both, "I will show you my newest invention!" He grinned and jumped into the hole, waving them over and holding up a small cube.

"This," he smiled proudly, "will finish up the project I started by hand. Observe!" Urahara set the cube down in the hole, then bent down and pressed something. He stood back up and smiled wide. The cube made a few beeping noises, then a loud hollow gong before glowing bright red, filling the hold with light. Urahara's smile suddenly looked quite terrified.

"Oh dear," he managed, "I shouldn't be st-AHHHHHHHHHH!" He suddenly vanished.

"Kisuke!" Yoruichi screamed out.

Yoruichi and Soi ran over and looked into the hole. They saw the man falling into what looked like a vast cavern, screaming the whole way.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" The girls could hear him take a breath. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH-" THUD The pair eyed the conveniently placed ladder and started the long descent down, where a small Kisuke-shaped crater contained the man.

"I meant to do that," he whispered into the dirt as the girls joined him.

Kisuke finally recovered and began explaining the technical work behind the construction of the underground training room, until Yoruichi made the score 3-1 and knocked him back into the crater. Soi wondered where the rice bowl had even come from. The man scrambled back up the ladder, mumbling about more research and a change of clothes. Once the trapdoor closed, Yoruichi squealed and jumped around like a little girl, giggling happily.

"Sooooooi! Soisoisoisoisooooooi!" she cried out, dancing happily. "Kisuke made one of these when we were kids! This is sooooo cool, it's a training room! Even if soul Society is looking for us, they can't feel our reiatsu down here!" Soi noted that even after all this, she still didn't know why they were thrown out of Soul Society; the joy on Yoruichi's face pushed those thoughts away and she felt a wide smile breaking on her face too. She didn't even pay attention to the little annoying pang that Kisuke's name brought again.

"We're going to spend a few hours down here a day," Yoruichi continued, looking a bit more serious. "Let's see… we need to work on your swordsmanship, your speed, your martial arts skills, and see about getting your shikai released," she spoke, mostly to herself. Soi frowned some. She wasn't that bad, was she? Yoruichi looked up and saw the look on Soi's face. She stepped over to the smaller girl, placing both hands on her shoulders.

"Hey, I didn't mean it that way," she said seriously, looking into Soi's eyes. The smaller girl felt her heart race a little and fought back the sudden urge to hug close to her friend.

"You want to get better than me, right? Well I _know_ I'm still faster than you," Yoruichi grinned. Soi snapped out of her reverie and growled a little.

"I'm faster than you think," she muttered defensively.

"Oh really?" Yoruichi drawled, "Then why don't ya prove it, Little Bee?" Soi smiled some, fighting her embarrassment down at the challenge.

"Maybe I will… Yoru-kun," she shot back, missing the tiny blush that passed over Yoruichi's face.

"Okay then… tag!" the taller woman giggled, poking Soi's side and leaping away. She hit the ground and immediately shunpoed straight out of her gigai, alighting on one of the rock spires.

"Catch me if you can, Bee-kun!" she laughed again and vanished. Soi growled and leapt out of her body for the rock, vaulting off it and flash stepping for Yoruichi, who was now perched on a small cliff. Soi could see her wide grin, and she disappeared as Soi came within feet of her. Yoruichi was taunting her!

Soi touched down and leapt straight up, hovering in the air and searching every which way for her purple-haired friend. She squealed as she felt someone tickle her ribs, spinning to find no one there.

"Someone's ticklish," she heard a quiet whisper in her ear, spinning again and blushing hot red. No one again.

"My my," Yoruichi was sitting on the ground, stretching back lazily, "I thought bees could fly faster than this," she grinned, laughing happily. Soi's growled and shunpoed for the ground quickly, but stopped halfway and changed direction, hoping to cut her mentor off as she made for another cliff. Soi vaulted off another spire and shunpoed again mid-leap, hoping to gain some speed. Yoruichi barely had a toe down before she backflipped into a cliff and leapt off the face of it, flash stepping away again. Soi landed where Yoruichi was just moments before and flash stepped twice towards the taller girl's position up in the sky. Soi was about to make the third step when she saw Yoruichi's eyes dart to the left, toward the ground. She grinned and flashed toward the ground, just as Yoruichi did the same. Soi's eyes widened as she reappeared inches from Yoruichi, still moving too fast to stop.

Soi crashed headlong into Yoruichi, both girls instinctively wrapping their arms around the other. Yoruichi flew backwards, landing on her back with Soi atop her, pressed warmly against her body. Soi squeaked softly and looked up into Yoruichi's eyes, realizing her face was inches from her own. Those amber eyes, so full of life, were currently swimming in a sea of emotion. Soi blushed softly, noticing Yoruichi doing the same. She nearly whimpered with joy as she left the older girl's arms tighten protectively around her, just a little. Soi leaned forward just a tiny bit, watching almost in a state of disconnect as Yoruichi did the same, those beautiful eyes sliding closed as her face tilted to the side slightly, her soft wonderful lips nearly brushing hers…

BANG

"LUNCH IS REEEEEADY!" Urahara's voice echoed through the trapdoor high above. Both girls yelped and Soi leapt backwards, both blushing deeply as their hearts raced. As they silently climbed the ladder, neither knew the stream of expletives the other was mentally aiming at Kisuke.

By the end of lunch, the score was tied. At 26.


	6. Under The Moonlight

it's out early! yesh, this was for friday but chapter 7 gave me trouble so i cut it short. i figure releasing this one 3 days early and then the shorter one on friday will make up for it, ne?

this chapter is... interesting, at least from my standpoint. what was supposed to be a 2 or 3 paragraph piece of plot before i moved into (what will now be) chapter 8, grew and grew into something pretty different. hopefully you like it, even though the mood is considerably more serious. look for chapter 7 on friday, and hopefully i can get my muse back and cover some ground, as i have no more written past the next chapter.. -tries to catch his runaway muse-

* * *

The few days following the incident in the training room were fraught with a light and unspoken yet constant tension. Soi found herself fighting hard to keep from calling her friend "Yoruichi-sama" again, and Yoruichi, when she did speak, never found herself able to meet Soi's eyes for more than a moment. Kisuke appeared terribly confused about the sudden quiet, but for the most part he was as congenial as possible and didn't take sides. He just assumed there had been a small fight, as friends were known to do sometimes, and left it at that. One can only handle so many rice bowls to the head, he reminded himself.

Soifon continued to work the store, but training seemed to be on hold for the time being, since Yoruichi-sama hadn't approached her about practicing more. Soi missed it, even though they had only had one session and it turned into a game more than anything. Yoruichi was rarely around and only seemed to appear for meals.

_'I… I miss my Yoruichi-sama…'_ She had to excuse herself more than once from assisting a customer to collect herself when the truth of the situation refused to be banished from her mind; she wouldn't wear the maid dress again but she'd often spend time in her room looking at it or holding it or modeling it against her body. Soi thought about wearing it, just to see if it would bring back that smile that she loved so much, but ruled against it. She already feared she'd scared her friend away for good, and anything even approaching an act of seduction was out of the question now.

Soi woke from sleep with nightmares more than once, always the same theme – Yoruichi hadn't come to get her when she left. She saw herself break, devoid of emotion as she tried to continue her duties in Soul Society, but as time passed she grew cold and bitter, until she realized decades had passed and she was all alone. To escape the upsetting dreams she had taken to lying on the roof in the brisk fall air, watching the moon and the stars high above and thinking. On the third night of this she was jarred from her lonely musings by a noise. Her head whipped around at the source.

Soi's breath caught in her throat as she saw Yoruichi crouched several feet away. The girl's short purple hair caught the moonlight and seemed to shimmer, and her bronze skin glowed softly from the silver beams. A soft breeze tossed her hair gently, the short locks dancing for a moment before settling. The princess's bright amber eyes seemed clouded, but she managed a small smile, which Soi barely returned.

"Hey, Little Bee…"

"Hey," she nearly whispered back. _'Hey beautiful,'_ she meant, but was too scared to say. Soi's heart was nearly racing out of her chest, but it felt like it had stopped as she took in the sight of the young woman before her. _'You really are a princess, Yoruichi-sama…'_

"Whatcha up here for?" Yoruichi asked quietly, crawling a little closer before facing the roof's edge, sitting down and hugging her knees to her chest. Soi tore her eyes away, looking back up at the sky. It hurt to look at her right now. The six feet between them felt like six miles.

"Couldn't sleep," she whispered. "Nightmares." Yoruichi nodded and glanced over at Soi from the corner of her eye, trying to force down the flutter in her heart.

Soi's hands rested behind her head and her knees were up, making her look relaxed yet contemplative at once. Her gray eyes were glassy, almost as though she were holding back tears. The moonlight made her black hair appear even darker and silkier, and Yoruichi blushed as she thought of running her fingers through it.

_'My little bee,'_ Yoruichi thought to herself, sighing softly, _'you look as lost as I am right now… I want to make it better, I want to make _you_ better… but I'm so scared I'll push you away. I want you back, even if it's just as a friend…'_

"Would… you like to talk about it?" Yoruichi got out, swallowing hard and fighting to get back in control of her emotions. She felt like crying now; why did it feel like she had lost a part of herself?

"I…" Soi did want to talk about it, she wanted nothing more, but she was scared of how Yoruichi-sama would react to her fears. She closed her eyes, not hearing the source of her confusion scoot just a few inches closer.

"Y-Yoruichi-sama," Soi missed Yoruichi wince as she studied in intricate detail the surface of the moon. "W-why did we have to leave?" Yoruichi closed her eyes and sighed again softly, missing as Soi quietly lifted herself up and inched nearer, just a little.

_'She wishes she never came,'_ the former captain thought morosely. _'They'll never take her back now… Oh Soi, I'm so sorry…'_

"S-Soi… Kisuke, he… well, you know his inventions, right?" Soi closed her eyes and nodded when she heard that man's name, suddenly hating him for a brief moment.

_'What if he takes her away from me? He already almost did…'_ Yoruichi slid a few more inches closer, the gap between the girls lessened by about a foot now.

"Yeah, I do. What about them?"

"Well, Kisuke made…" Yoruichi paused, before snorting and shaking her head, rubbing her eyes in frustration. Soi scooted a bit closer, a good six inches, still scared to look at the beautiful girl beside her but fearing the distance between them more and more. "Oh, I don't know what the hell he made," she laughed bitterly. "But it was bad. Real bad."

"You don't know what he made to get us exiled?" Soi questioned with genuine curiosity. "Then why'd you go with him?" She fought hard to keep the jealousy from her voice, and looked down and away. Yoruichi moved closer again, still looking away herself.

"Well, I guess I've known him a long time," she answered, closing her eyes and laying her head down on her knees. "I mean, I knew about the gigai, the one that's untraceable but sucks your reiatsu slowly until you're human…" Soi gasped, inching closer to hear better. "But they found plans for… something else," Yoruichi whispered. "He won't tell me what, but it was enough to mobilize the whole Gotei 13, so it must have been pretty awful."

"Then why would you stand by him?" Soi pressed, closing her eyes and bracing as if for a physical blow. Yoruichi scooted closer again, the distance between them only a few feet now.

"Well… He's my oldest friend," she responded, looking off into the distance. She was scared to continue, but it was killing her to be apart from Soi and she took a deep breath and pressed forward. Soi scooted closer, not even noticing that she was almost within arm's reach of her princess. "My position was… it was really lonely, Soi… and I never felt like I connected with anyone who didn't try to see me as more than some kind of idol… There was only Kisuke and one other, who's become like a best friend to me… so I had to make a choice."

_'"Had to make a choice"… I guess that means it's not me then,'_ Soi thought sadly, closing her eyes and fighting down the wave of hurt. _'I thought… she wanted to be my friend… But even so, I should tell her the truth, I owe my Yoruichi-sama that much…' _She missed Yoruichi moving closer as she replied.

"I… I know the feeling," she whispered. "There's really only one person I've ever been close to, I never got along with most of the squad too well…"

_'"Most of the squad"… So I guess that leaves me out,'_ Yoruichi realized, swallowing the lump in her throat. _'I really did want to be your friend Soi, your best friend even… I'll tell you the truth, even if you don't feel the same…'_

"That one person is…"

"My best friend is…"

"You," they finished together, finally looking into the other's eyes. They both froze, their eyes widening when they realized they were less than a foot apart.

_'Did she say..?!'_

_'Does she really mean…?!'_

It took that single moment and that confession to completely shatter the haze that had permeated the pair for half a week. Soi felt something wonderful bubbling up inside her, and felt the corners of her mouth turning up even as she saw Yoruichi's lips twitch. The silence held for a precious few seconds before the both of them burst into joyous laughter, smiling wide with relief. Yoruichi slid the over the rest of the way to her little bee, flopping down on her back beside her and soaking up the happy moment. They looked at each other, taking in their closest friend's beauty in the moonlight, their hearts secretly fluttering at the smiles they saw.

_'I wish you were mine, Yoruichi-sama…'_

_'I wish we could be more than best friends, Soi-kun…'_

_'But for now, this is enough.'_


	7. Ohayo, Soi

wells, here's the slightly short chapter 7. i apologize in advance, but holy junk i have writer's block something bad. i sat for like 30 minutes and got like 4 sentences out, and my other story's stuck halfway through a chapter. i can't give a timeframe for the next chapter, but i'm going to do everything in my power to get it out in a week, alrighty? i absolutely positively refuse to abandon this story, promise. i have notes for at least 5 or 6 more chapters, and i can see this lasting another 3 or 4 beyond that, at least. hang in there and you won't be disappointed.

see you in a week!

* * *

The next morning Yoruichi burst into Soi's room before breakfast, grinning wide and jumping around the room like an excited child.

"Soi! Soi! Get up! Soifon, get your butt outta bed!" she exclaimed as she jumped around the room.

"Unnnnh," came a voice from under the covers of the futon. Soifon was a morning person usually, but she had been in the middle of a wonderful dream where the events of last night had gotten much nicer…

"Soi, get up! We're going for a run before breakfast today, let's go!" Yoruichi giggled, ripping the covers off her friend.

Soi screamed.

"Oh! Soi, I-I," Yoruichi stuttered, her hands covering her eyes as she blushed brightly.

"I'll be out in a minute!"

"O-Okay! I-I'll be by the door," the purple haired girl yelped as she tore out of the room, rather embarrassed.

_'I had no idea that Soi slept naked…'_

Soi arrived at the front door about ten minutes later, yawning and only blushing slightly. _'So what if the… who am I kidding?'_ she thought to herself, refusing to deny it any longer. _'So what if the girl of my dreams just saw me naked?'_ She was dressed in her normal black clothing that bore a strong resemblance to her Special Forces uniform. Yoruichi stood at the door as promised; she shook her head when she saw Soi before flashing her a grin.

"Nope, those won't do at all," she said, walking closer to Soi and pulling something out from behind her. "Go change. Hurry!" Soi looked at the garment in her hands and her eyes widened.

She had been given what appeared to be a replica of Yoruichi's backless uniform, but it was cut off just above the knees. The old "servant Soi" was yelling at her to give it back, that it was more of an honor than she deserved. But this was drowned out by the wave of fuzzy warmth she felt spreading through her at receiving a gift from Yoruichi. She looked up at the former captain, who just smiled.

"Kisuke actually made it," she explained, almost appearing bashful. "I'm no good with fabrics anyways. Wear it for training, alright? You'll need it," she winked, before pushing her gently toward her room. Soi looked back and blushed, noticing that Yoruichi's cut off at above the knee too.

_'I had no idea her legs looked so good…'_

Soi returned the second time tugging a little at the uniform, feeling slightly exposed. Yoruichi's catlike grin was wider this time, but she had the decency to blush just a little when she spoke.

"Oh stop. It's nothing I haven't seen before," she giggled. Soi blushed but stood her ground, mustering up all her courage and flashing what she hoped was a very seductive smile.

"Why do you bring it up," she purred as she sauntered past her former captain. "Saw something you liked, Yoruichi-sama?" Soi missed the eyes nearly popping out of Yoruichi's head as she watched the younger girl strut by.

_'You have no idea, Little Bee…'_

Soi heard Kisuke laughing his ass off in the kitchen, before he let out a loud yelp of pain. She turned to see Yoruichi bound outside, blushing but grinning victoriously.

"That's 27 for me!"

Soi laughed, her heart still racing at her little stunt. She was immensely proud of herself though, even just for the fact that she was allowing herself to be a little more assertive around Yoruichi. Deep down Soi knew she'd always defer to her old mistress when it counted, but she meant it when she promised to be a friend first.

"Now, we're going to start training you today, Little Bee," Yoruichi stated, entering "lecture mode." Soi instinctively straightened some, focusing every ounce of her attention on Yoruichi. "We're going to start with a run, followed by a light breakfast, then we'll be…" Yoruichi paused, looking at Soi who was nearly standing at attention, before blushing a little and laughing softly.

"Sorry Soi," she giggled, "I didn't mean to make this an official briefing. Umm, at ease?" Soi smiled some and nodded, relaxing herself and trying to not feel too embarrassed at her reaction.

"Let's just start with the run, okay?" Soi nodded again.

"Hai, Yoruichi." The taller girl frowned for a moment in thought, before her face lit up with a bright smile.

"I've got a great idea," she giggled, stepping closer to Soi. She licked her lips and Soi's breath caught in her throat. Yoruichi reached forward gently, as if to place her hand against Soi's cheek. The younger girl's eyes fluttered partway closed as she longed to lean into the caress, before…

"Tag." Her eyes snapped open as she felt a finger poke her nose. Yoruichi laughed more, "No shunpo!" She bolted out of the small courtyard into the open street. Soi blushed brightly and tore off after her.

"W-Wait! Yoruichi!"

SMASH

"Dammit Yoruichi, that was a table!"

"If you'd shut up and catch me maybe I'd be chasing you instead!"

For the last 20 minutes the two girls had been tearing through Karakura's crowded commercial district, flitting through shrieking throngs of shocked shoppers. Yoruichi held to her "no shunpo" rule, but the fact that she was currently running across the tabletops where little old ladies were hocking their wares was nearly as bad.

"That's cheating!"

"No it's not!"

The fleeing woman flipped from the table and ran along a wooden railing outside of another shop before landing in the middle of the street and sprinting off. Soi growled and leapt inhumanly, twisting in midair and vaulting off the roof of a horse's carriage to follow.

"Get back here!"

"Not if you can't caaaatch meeeee!"

Yoruichi turned to stick her tongue out, but the momentary lapse in concentration cost her dearly, as several military men on horseback were just ahead. She collided into the back of a horse with a heavy thump, making the animal rear up and scream before charging ahead. The other horses, spooked, followed suit, and in a moment there were five horses barreling down the street and through the huge shop window of "Makoto-san's Fine China." There was a loud crash followed by lots of cursing and screams. Soi skidded to a halt next to the shell-shocked Yoruichi, who looked as nervous as a child about to receive a spanking. The soldiers dragged themselves from the shop, a little old man following them and yelling loudly, waving his walking stick about wildly. One of the soldiers spotted the two girls, who were standing in the middle of the street alone with a throng of people standing back and gaping at them. He shouted and they all looked up, then yelled out a variety of threats and obscenities before charging back at them. The girls turned wide-eyed to each other.

"Um…"

"Uh…"

"They're it," they squeaked out together as they turned and bolted.

The pair was back for lunch; it had taken hours to elude the military men. The five hadn't been too hard, but who could have guessed that one of them had run ahead and told those 50 others? The 50 others who were eating a late breakfast in the bar that Soi and Yoruichi just happened to take refuge in. Kisuke left about halfway through the meal, as one man can only get hit with so many rice bowls. Soi was cheering; she was ahead 31-30 now.

"Damn project's not working right anyways," he grumbled halfheartedly as he rubbed the lump. Honestly, how could he not laugh at hearing about Soi tripping and landing face first into that big breadbasket? He grinned a little to himself, remembering the part where Yoruichi punched the man whose hands were in an… inappropriate position as Soi plowed headlong into him. Kisuke shuddered at the thought of what would have happened had the man squeezed.

"Looks like my best friend is growing up," he whispered as he jogged up the stairs. "I wonder if she needs that talk about the birds and the bees still… Bees? Oh dear, that could make things much worse," he laughed out loud at his own joke as he closed the door to his lab. He flopped into his chair, staring at the readouts for the mod soul he was working on before glancing at the nearly completed gigai on the worktable.

"Why won't my specs line up," he muttered, frowning at the small wide-eyed girl on the table. He sighed and pulled up the info on his next project, which displayed a blueprint for a small boy holding a large bat.

"Maybe I'll have better luck with you; I'll just come back when I can think straight…"


	8. My Name Is

so i ask you guys to bear with me, and look what you get! just shy of 2500 words, hehe. i'm really happy with this chapter, it was hard for me to write but i like the way it went. i'll try my best to get the next one out in a week, but it all depends on my schedule. summer's getting kinda busy, but i'm doing what i can to save energy and time and everything else to work on this more.

as i post this, there are 12 favorites and 25 alerts up on this story, along with 57 reviews. if you're any of those, thank you sooo much! i'm in awe that so many people are enjoying this. also, signed reviewers stand a decent chance of getting thanked individually, since i do like to respond to my reviewers when i can. some of you have even been getting a little inside info on how the next update is coming along.. -grins-

* * *

It was almost a week later and Soi found herself yet again seated on the dirt ground on the training room, cross-legged, with her eyes closed. Yoruichi sat a few feet in front of her, watching intently. Soi sighed a little and tried to focus, but it just wasn't happening today. She opened her eyes and locked gazes with her mentor, who appeared just a little concerned.

"It's no use Yoruichi, I'm just not getting it," she huffed, rubbing her eyes in frustration. "We've been at this for days now. What am I missing, I've got to be doing something wrong," she said despairingly. Yoruichi shook her head and offered a small smile, which lightened Soi's heart considerably. She was coming to terms with her feelings, but Soi still refused to voice them.

_'What if I tell her and she laughs? Or worse, what if she hates me? I could never bear to lose her,'_ she thought to herself, staring back into the golden eyes of the girl she adored. Yoruichi's smile softened and she scooted closer, placing her hand on Soi's knee and squeezing gently.

"You're thinking too much, Little Bee," she admonished. "You've got to clear your mind if you want to have any chance of talking with your zanpakuto."

After their morning run (which was in a completely different direction and much more tame after the incident with the soldiers) the pair would eat breakfast and then adjourn to the basement for sword training, followed by more shunpo practice and then a meditation session, the goal being to help Soi learn the name of her zanpakuto and attain shikai. So far, however, all Soi encountered when she cleared her mind was a buzzing noise, and this only came after a good half hour spend in total silence.

"But Yoruichi-sama, I _am_ clearing my mind, and I'm _not_ thinking about anything!" Soi blurted, slightly defensively. So what if Yoruichi in purple silk underwear invaded her brain on occasion? Or when said goddess crawled to Soi, a catlike grin on her face as she climbed atop her and…

_'Ignore that; my mind is clear, I'm _so_ not thinking about that,'_ she grumbled to herself, blushing a little. The look on Yoruichi's face made it clear that she believed this excuse less than Soi herself did.

"Sure you aren't," she quipped. "Afraid to confess the naughty thoughts, Little Bee?" She grinned widely.

"Y-Yoru-!"

"Relax, Soi," she giggled, "If you get all worked up it'll just take that much longer. I'm kidding." Soi couldn't help rolling her eyes, if only to cover the fact that her friend had hit the nail right on the head.

"Now, close your eyes," Yoruichi said gently. Soi obeyed, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "I want you to only focus on one thing, this time," she continued, her voice moving slowly closer to Soi. "I want you to focus on me, Soi." Soifon gulped a little but nodded once, clearing out her mind of every thought but the girl beside her. This was shockingly easy after the previous sessions of being told to focus on nothing.

"Focus on my voice," Yoruichi continued, speaking quietly and evenly, "focus on just my words, nothing else…" Soi felt her stomach drop a little as she sank deeper into meditation, shutting out everything else but the sound of the voice she loved. She was so focused that she barely noticed the soft touches on her bare shoulders as Yoruichi scooted behind her and began massaging her gently.

"It's just me, Soi, nothing else is here," Yoruichi continued, reassuring the girl as she gently rubbed her shoulders. "Can you hear my voice, can you feel me right here with you? I'm not going anywhere now, I'm going to stay right here with you. Now, I want you to slowly, very slowly, tune my voice out, and only focus on what you feel," she whispered, her hands gently traveling along Soi's upper arms, then back up to the base of her neck, then down along her shoulder blades. "Let my voice get quieter, quieter, quieter, until all you feel is my hands, and then less, then less, then nothing but you…"

The whole time Yoruichi instructed Soi she continued to speak quieter, helping her protégé follow her directions. Yoruichi didn't know what was distracting Soi, but she felt somewhere deep down that this would work. It wasn't because of that pleasant little flutter she felt in her chest from being so close to Soi, or the warm feeling of rightness and completeness that filled her whole body as she gently rubbed the younger girl's shoulders. That was just silly.

Meanwhile, Soi felt herself sinking down, the voice of her mentor quieting more and more as she did her best to only focus on the gentle touches she was loving so much. As Yoruichi continued to speak, her voice became less and less distinct, until it sounded like the blowing of a gentle breeze. The soft caresses on her bare shoulders became as intangible as the soft blowing of the wind. Soi's heart raced a little as she began to think something was different; she felt the breeze on her arms too, and on her exposed lower legs, meaning Yoruichi couldn't be the cause. She slowly opened her eyes.

Soi gasped and stared wide-eyed at the whole new world around her. She was either on the strangest planet in all of creation of she had shrunk drastically. She may have been in a field, but the brightly shining sun was blocked out overhead by flowers bigger than anything humanly possible. The stems were wider around than tree trunks, and the blades of grass that shot up into the sky were easily as wide as the Urahara Shoten. There was no undergrowth, which honestly made sense; after all, with grass that stood a hundred feet tall, what plant would be smaller to go under it?

Soi stood slowly and turned back and forth, examining the alien forest around her. Birds called in the distance, and Soi shuddered at the thought of encountering one. The sun bathed the whole world in a cheery green glow as it filtered through the plant life. Were Soi not feeling so apprehensive, she would have been overcome by the warmth and tranquility of the scene, but as it was she just wanted to figure out what she was meant to do here. What was her zanpakuto anyways, a big clover? As the girl walked silently along a small path between the denser parts of the forest, a new sound reached her ears, quiet at first but growing louder and louder as seconds ticked by.

A buzzing.

Suddenly Soi screamed in shock and discomfort as a flower in the canopy shifted and she was hit full force with a sunbeam to the face. She shook her head to clear the temporary blindness, squinting up and gaping openly at what she saw above her.

"Don't look so surprised," a happy feminine voice giggled.

Perched on a daisy was a bumblebee so large that the stem of the flower bent over, bringing the insect down to just above Soi's eye level. It was the size of a house, and that was a conservative estimate; the bee's yellow and white fuzz looked as thick, soft and downy as fur, and its large black eyes were oddly expressive. Her antennae twitched cutely, which coupled with her kind eyes made her seem as warm as the sunshine bathing Soi from above. There were two things that seemed out of place – firstly, was the shiny metallic stinger on the bee's right foreleg.

Secondly was the purple collar with a bright golden bell around the bee's neck.

"Y-You're my-"

"Well what else would you have expected me to be?" the bee asked. Soi could tell it was grinning despite its lack of a mouth, and she blushed and scowled at the comment. It would seem that it was impossible to outrun her nickname, even in her own head.

"And this place?" Soi questioned, motioning to the world around her. The insect giggled again and smiled.

"Everything you see here is an extension of yourself," she explained, her wings fluttering some, "The world around you as well as I myself and the shape my released form takes all say something about you. That's all I can tell you, you'll have to figure out the rest on your own." The bug somehow winked one of its massive lidless eyes, making Soi blink in confusion. How did it _do_ that?

"I assume you're here for my name," the bug stated. Soi nodded quickly, hoping it would really be that simple. "But it's not that simple," the bumblebee continued.

_'Damn.'_

"You have to understand this place before you can understand my name," she said, antennae twitching. "Until you do, every time I say _bzzzzzzzzzz_ all you'll hear is a buzz." Soi frowned a little, somewhat frustrated that she could know her zanpakuto's name if only she could have heard through that buzz.

"I'll tell you what," the bee said brightly, as if sensing Soi's annoyance, "I'll help lead you, okay? I'll point out different things in here, and you work out what they mean. If you're honest with yourself and with me, we'll be done in like 10 minutes. If not…" she left the sentence hanging and shrugged, sending a little pang of fear through Soi. She wondered if she'd ever get the name out of this overgrown bug.

"Let's start out easy. How about the world around us? Why would this be the setting you find inside of you?" Soi crossed her arms and looked away indignantly.

"How should I know? I don't even like flowers," she bit out. That was a lie; Soi loved flowers, not that she'd ever tell anyone. She thought briefly of coming back home to a big bright bouquet of beautiful wildflowers, a dark-skinned goddess standing behind them and smiling gently…

"Mmmmm, I love wildflowers," the bee said happily, patting its stomach area with one of its legs. Soi squeaked and nearly jumped.

_'She can hear my thoughts?!'_

"Are you starting to understand, Soifon?" she continued quietly. "You can't lie to me in here, you can only lie to yourself. Until you're ready to admit everything to yourself instead of just fantasizing, I think we're done here." Soi's eyes widened and she shook her head hard.

"No! Wait!" The bee was silent.

"I… Yes, I love flowers, and they're probably here because of that," Soi whispered, blushing some. The bee seemed to smile some before nodding.

"Good, that wasn't so hard now, was it? Let's try another," she looked around some before looking straight up. "Perfect! What about the sunshine? I'm sure you've noticed how warm and bright it is, yes?"

Soi frowned some, wondering what this overgrown fly…

_'Umm, _majestic_ jet and gold, gorgeous bee!_' she corrected herself, remembering how exposed her every thought was to this creature. The insect looked like it was trying its best to hold back its laughter; Soi was just glad it wasn't offended. Suddenly something dawned on Soi and her eyes widened.

_I'm sure you've noticed how warm and bright it is, yes?_

It was a clue! Soi smiled a little; this bee wasn't her enemy, it wanted her to understand its name as much as she did. Didn't Yoruichi tell her that her zanpakuto is meant to be her partner?

"It's… me," she started lamely, wincing a little. Of course it was her, this whole place was! "Or, how I want to be, deep down," she continued, thinking out loud as she went. "I had those dreams of being so cold and alone, had I been left in Soul Society… but that's not how I want to be, not even close…"

"Good, that's right," the bee smiled. "You don't want to be left alone, and you'll be a warm and wonderful person to be around, if you just have someone there to stop you from retreating into your shell."

"Yoruichi!" The bee froze.

"Beg your pardon, hun?"

"It's Yoruichi, I know it is," Soi said as it dawned on her. It all came back to her master-turned friend-turned crush. "She's what keeps me from being cold. She's why I love flowers, because she fell asleep in my lap and the petals falling around her made her look even more beautiful! You're a bee because it's her nickname for me, and you're wearing that collar because she acts so much like a cat sometimes!" Soi wanted to stop, to keep it all in, but she knew it was all true, and she just couldn't hold it in anymore.

"If… if it weren't for Yoruichi-sama I wouldn't be half the Shinigami I am! She trained me, a-and befriended me! A-and… and I don't ever want to leave her side! I want to be strong enough to protect her, but I want her to protect me forever! I-I… I lo-"

"Soi, I think that's more than enough," the bee chuckled gently. "I'm not the one that needs to hear most of this after all." Soi blushed so hot that the sunlight on her cheeks felt cool in comparison, but she meant those words. She meant every one, and she promised herself that she'd never take them back.

"You get the big picture; you know why I take the shape that I do, and you know more about yourself as well. Knowing yourself is the key to true strength," she said. "Now listen closely, Soifon. My name is…"

She stirred slowly, her eyelids closing tighter for a moment before slowly slipping open. As she wiggled a little, she felt small, yet strong arms holding her close. She looked up and met a pair of molten gold eyes, which were currently furrowed with concern and also filled with an emotion that Soifon could swear she was imagining, but wished on everything she wasn't. She smiled sleepily, exhaustion suddenly overtaking her. The arms of Yoruichi Shihoin tightened protectively around her and Soi felt her heart flutter warmly.

"Suzumebachi… her name is Suzumebachi," Soifon whispered, before slipping into unconsciousness. One thought flitted through her mind before she knew no more.

_'I must have died, Suzumebachi, because this has to be heaven…'_


	9. My Dysfunctional Family

i worte this just today, sorry it took so late to update but there were like tornadoes on the ground just southwest of us and they were coming my way. pretty scary. -shivers-

i kind of like how this chapter turned out, i think you'll see a little bit of a different Soifon now and for the rest of the story. she's not out of character by any means, but she's growing and evolving as time goes on, i hope. i'm not sure where this story's going to end, either. i only have stuff planned for another 4-6ish chapters, and i'm thinking of cutting it off there. if i can find a way to continue this without turning it into a tired stereotype, i'll be more than happy to though! anyways, enough rambling, enjoy teh storah!

* * *

Soi awoke slowly the next morning to find herself tucked into her futon snugly, her newly awakened zanpakuto lying on the floor beside her. She stretched lazily and rolled on her side, slipping her arms out and lifting the sword up to examine it. It was much shorter than the standard shape a zanpakuto took, with a blue and gold sheath and a hilt wrapped in gold cord. Soi smiled some, thinking that the shorter size would be much easier to handle with one arm. She was a pretty small girl after all.

_'Small enough for Yoruichi-sama to carry me up here and tuck me in,'_ she thought with a small blush. Soi didn't mind at all; in fact, she wished she had been awake to enjoy that kind of closeness with her mentor. Her current predicament was how to handle seeing Yoruichi this morning. Half of her desperately wanted to march right into the kitchen and kiss her senseless, but the other half wasn't opposed to hiding right in her bed all day, or leaping out the window and making a break for the mainland. China must be nice this time of year, it reasoned. In the end, Soi decided on a truce – she'd get up, try to act normal, and wait for the right time to tell the girl just how she felt.

She struggled out of her warm bed and giggled when she saw she was still dressed in her clothes from yesterday. _'Yoruichi-sama's so polite,'_ Soi grinned to herself as she quickly dressed in a comfortable robe before grabbing Suzumebachi and walking for the kitchen. She'd have to get her gigai back later probably, but right now breakfast came first.

"Ohayo, Soi!" Urahara grinned and waved, a cup of coffee in his other hand as he sat at the table. Yoruichi sat around the other side, nursing a cup in both hands. She turned and offered the younger girl a brilliant smile, which made a swarm of honeybees dance in Soi's stomach.

"Good morning!" she said happily, fighting the urge to skip to the table. Soi noticed that she sat a little closer to Yoruichi than she needed to, but she didn't care. _'I'd rather be in her lap anyways,'_ she reasoned. _'This is restraint.'_

"Lemme see!" Yoruichi nearly whined as she scooted right next to Soi, reaching across her and snitching her zanpakuto. Soi nearly squeaked, but her body settled for a warm blush as she felt her favorite person pressed gently against her. Urahara looked like he wanted to say something, but once he caught Soi eying a bowl of rice on the table he wisely kept quiet and returned to his coffee.

"Oh wow, Soi, it's so beautiful!" Yoruichi exclaimed, drawing the blade out and examining it carefully. "What was its name again?"

"She's called Suzumebachi," Soi said, grinning at Yoruichi and hoping she'd catch the reference. The purple haired girl froze for just a second before turning to Soi.

"Hornet?" she whispered quietly. Soi just nodded, still smiling. A smile slowly spread across Yoruichi's face; her bright yellow eyes were warm with an emotion that made Soi want to melt against the girl and never leave her arms again. She truly hoped she wasn't seeing things, and hoped even more that something about her own countenance was showing to Yoruichi how she felt in return. A bold fantasy suddenly invaded Soi's mind where she gripped Yoruichi's face and kissed her with everything she had. Yoruichi's arm wrapped around Soi's waist and Soi had half a mind to go through on her little daydream-

"Awwwww, it's so small and cute! It's like a little toy sw-"

THWACK

"AHHH!"

"Damn man," Soi grumbled, flexing her throwing hand.

"Ruined my good mood," Yoruichi grumbled darkly.

"That's 32."

"I know."

"I'm winning."

"Not for long."

"Why do you have to do this to me?!"

"GO MAKE OUR BREAKFAST!" both girls yelled together, making the blond man yelp and scramble up from the table.

The only bright side was that throughout the ordeal, Yoruichi's arm stayed curled protectively around Soi's waist. And it didn't move from that spot until the meal was over.

An hour or so later Yoruichi was standing at the door, waiting for Soi to finish preparing to go out for practice. She shifted around some and laid a hand on her own zanpakuto; she preferred fighting without it, but she didn't know how things would go today and it never hurt to have a little extra muscle. To be fair, it wasn't like her zanpakuto liked her very much either. She raised an eyebrow as Urahara trotted into the shop room, in his gigai as he was preparing to open the shop soon. He flashed her a small grin and winked. Yoruichi held up three fingers then a single digit, mouthing "thirty one" as she did. Urahara just chuckled and rolled his eyes, making Yoruichi giggle a little. If she didn't know better, she'd think he enjoyed the little game as much as the two girls did.

"I'm ready, Yoruichi!" Soi exclaimed as she bounded into the room, dressed in the backless training uniform just as Yoruichi was. Urahara snorted a little from the shelf he was restocking.

"Always had a thing for twins," he muttered under his breath.

"You're treading on thin ice, candy cane," Soi growled, drawing her blade out from its resting place across her lower back. "Want me to test her out on you?"

Urahara's only reply was a strangled squeak as he scrambled out of the room.

"You do know he's just playing, right Bee-kun?" Yoruichi giggled as Soi sheathed her sword and walked back over.

"I know, he's just fun to pick on," she explained with a grin. Yoruichi laughed and ruffled her hair, then grabbed her arm and dragged her out the door.

"Glad to see I've rubbed off on you so much," she grinned back. "Now you see why I've kept him around so long!"

Both girls laughed together as they leapt onto a rooftop and walked side by side. Without gigais it wouldn't do to be running into citizens on Karakura invisibly, after all.

"I've noticed you're in a real good mood today, Little Bee," Yoruichi said conversationally as they walked slowly. "Penny for your thoughts?" Soi giggled a little, blushing some and looking down a bit.

_'My real thoughts today are worth a lot more than that, Yoruichi.'_

"I'm just so happy to finally know my zanpakuto's name is all," she voiced. _'To hell with acting normal, I'm already failing at it,'_ the smaller girl thought before suddenly reaching out and hugging her purple haired friend tightly around her middle.

"Thank you so much for helping me, Yoruichi-sama… all of this is thanks to you." _'And you have no idea how true that is, Yoru-kun,'_ she thought as she remembered her time with Suzumebachi. Yoruichi yelped and laughed happily, wrapping her arms back around Soi and pulling her close. Soi nearly purred at the wonderful feeling of being held in Yoruichi's arms and she closed her eyes, intent on enjoying it as much as possible.

_**"In all fairness, it would be more like buzzing for you, not purring.."**_

_'Shut up, Suzumebachi.'_

_**"Killjoy…"**_

"You're very welcome Soi, but how about I do you one better?" Yoruichi said from just above her. Soi tilted her head to look at her, blushing a little but refusing to let go just yet.

_'I'd _love_ for you to do me one better-… no, I did NOT just think that!'_

_**"Can I comment this time, pleeeease?"**_

_'You're not allowed to speak!'_

_**"Awww…"**_

"What do you mean, Yoruichi-sama?" Soi questioned. Yoruichi giggled a little and bopped the younger girl's nose gently with one finger, her other arm still wrapped around her.

"Drop the sama. And I'm going to help you release for the first time!"

_**"I **__**have**__** to, this is just too good!"**_

_'One word and I leave you at home like Yoruichi does!!'_

"I was wondering about that actually," Soi got out as she blushed bright red, mentally conjuring an image of an enormous flyswatter and making sure her zanpakuto saw it. "Don't I just say her name and she transforms?"

"Well, yes and no," Yoruichi responded, disentangling herself from Soi and sitting down on the rooftop. Soi fought the urge to pout and did the same, hugging her knees and listening. "It's kind of a tradition with our former division to do a trial-by-fire of sorts," Yoruichi continued. "I always liked the idea of learning how to fight with your transformed zanpakuto right in the heat of battle, seems like something that'd happen in a bad action book," she giggled.

"Where do you keep them, next to your bad romance novels?" Soi grinned, receiving a playful swat on the arm for her cheek.

"Watch it you, or I'll get Urahara to make you a bee costume for your shop days, and you know he'll do it," she warned, but the guilty blush and sheepish smile completely disarmed the threat. "Anyways, the goal of this is to find a Hollow and dispose of it with your shikai, but I'll be close by to make sure nothing goes wrong," Yoruichi explained. "If you don't use your shikai to do it, it doesn't count, and we'll stay out until you do. Actually, tradition is that _you_ stay out until you do, so get it right or you can sleep on the porch tonight!" Yoruichi giggled and leapt up, strutting away as Soi sputtered indignantly.

She needed to remember to not insult Yoruichi's bad romance novels anymore.


	10. Crash Course in Shikai

geez, this took way too long to get out! a trillion apologies to everyone who's been waiting! i've been wiped out with work for weeks, and then last week i had the wonderful opportunity to take a vacation and attend Anthrocon, which was just this weekend. i also had the honor of being published in the conbook, an original short story of mine made it in. seeing that, and having a random person at the con tap me on the shoulder and tell me he's a fan of my writing, lit a fire under me to get working again **(not to mention all your wonderful reviews, which make me so happy and keep me from ever considering abandoning this story!)**. i typed this on the ride back from the con (9 hours, what else was there to do?) and i'll probably update my other story next, which is on a different site. so i'll do my best to return to a once-a-week schedule, but the best i can do is say the next chapter will come out faster. i feel like a writer again!

* * *

It only took about twenty minutes of wandering rooftops aimlessly before a screeching roar was heard in the distance. Yoruichi's head snapped around and she was off instantly, a testament to her alertness and agility as a former captain. Soi followed slightly behind her, apprehensive but determined to do the object of her affection proud.

The girls landed in a clearing nearly a mile from where they had started. It was a park of sorts, with a few benches and more open grass than was usual for Karakura to have. Soi's hand flew to the hilt of Suzumebachi as she gazed up at the hollow. It was a pretty standard fare; humanoid in appearance with a big white mask wrapped around its head. The hollow roared out its challenge.

"Looks like you lucked out and got an easy one, Little Bee," Yoruichi taunted, grinning and folding her arms across her chest. "Hurry up and kick its ass so we can head back, I want to start training your shikai today too." The taller girl made a show of checking an imaginary wristwatch, giggling a little. Soi frowned some but focused in on the hollow, drawing her zanpakuto out and bringing it forward into a loose guard.

Soifon never told anyone, but her battle strategy was a very simple one – she calmed herself, focused, and imagined she was her Yoruichi-sama. _'After all, no one in Soul Society can catch her once she begins to fight,'_ Soi reminded herself, _'not even Yamamoto-soutaichou could hit her. You can't beat what you can't hit.'_ Soi evened her breathing out and pictured herself as Yoruichi. A small confident grin came unbidden to her face and her tense shoulders relaxed just a little as she fell into her element.

Yoruichi's grin widened as she saw Soi fall into her battle stance. _'It's funny how tense she gets, but she relaxes right before the battle begins,'_ the girl mused. _'I can't figure out why that is, but I love to watch her fight. She almost fights like me, it makes me so proud of her…'_

Soi suddenly vanished, her shunpo carrying her right in front of the hollow's face. Its glowing red eyes widened in surprise, but it had no time to counter as Soi focused all her thoughts on the first and last attack.

"Suzumebachi!"

The blade came down… and cleaved the mask in half, obliterating the hollow in a single swing. Soi flipped easily to the ground and landed in a crouch, sheathing her blade on her back before standing back up. She came out of her battle headspace to the sound of lazy clapping and turned to her mentor, who was leaning against a bench and smiling proudly.

"Ten points for style, Little Bee! I couldn't have done better myself," she praised, making Soi blush lightly as her heart raced a little. "However," the former captain continued, her smile turning into a smug grin, "no shikai, so no goal!" Soi sputtered a little and stomped her foot indignantly.

"B-But Yoruichi, I did everything right! What if this _is_ her shikai form?!"

"Oh, you'll know when it happens, the first time is pretty spectacular."

_**"Can I.." **_

_'NO!!'_

Soi sighed and hung her head a little, resigned to the fact that it would be a very long day. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see a pair of compassionate yellow eyes.

"Hey, don't sweat it Soi-kun," Yoruichi said gently, squeezing her shoulder and making the younger girl's heart flutter a little. "You're gonna get it, and I'll bet you'll get it today too, we'll just keep at it. And if you don't, we'll drag a bed outside and sleep on the porch together, deal?" Soi could only smile and nod; the soft and kind look on the other girl's face had currently robbed her of breath.

Suddenly it didn't seem like too big a deal if she never found her shikai.

_**"If that's the case then at least **__**someone's**__** first time might still be today, and as for 'getting it'…"**_

_'Stop ruining the moment you damn pervert bug!'_

A couple hours later and the pair was still having no luck in unlocking Soi's shikai, or even in finding a hollow. Yoruichi had begun pulling pranks on passing humans, tossing small pebbles at their heads from the rooftops and then giggling when no one could figure out just what was happening. Soi rolled her eyes and pretended to not be impressed, but she was reasonably certain that the older girl had seen the corners of her mouth tugging up a little, even though she tried to hide it.

_'You're so immature sometimes, Yoru-kun, but I love it..'_

_'You're such a stick in the mud sometimes, my silly Little Bee, but I love making you smile through it just the same…'_

A nearly deafening roar broke the girls from their thoughts, and they both bolted off toward the sound, Soi keeping pace with Yoruichi this time. She could feel her mentor's urgency, which the older girl voiced partway there.

"This is a big one, Soi! Huge class at least, and there's something off about it, can you feel it?!"

"H-Hai, Yoruichi, it feels… darker, somehow!"

"Stay on your feet for this one Little Bee. You can beat it, but be careful!" Hearing the emotion in Yoruichi's voice made Soi's heart warm a little, and she steeled herself and nodded, determined to do the other girl proud.

"Hai Yoruichi-sama, I promise I won't let you down!"

The pair landed in an eerily empty plaza with a small fountain at its center. They stood back to back, surveying the area where they had felt the foreign reiatsu last. It was deathly silent.

"I have a bad feeling about this, Yoruichi…"

"You're not the only one, Soi…"

A sudden gaping tear in the fabric of reality ripped in front of them and as the girls turned to face it they got a momentary glimpse of a white sand desert and a jet black sky. An instant later it was all blocked out by a massive form shambling out into the living world. It rested on six legs that were segmented like crab legs, except the final segments were thin and wickedly pointed blades. Its body was a fifty foot tall oval, bleached white like a hollow mask. It was covered in eyes of all sizes and shapes and colors, which blinked and rolled and glared madly, all independent of each other. Pockmarks adorned the body as well, which went deep into the body, and networks of strange throbbing veins snaked across it, as colorless as the body and only visible because they were slightly raised. It had at least five mouths which shrieked as one in challenge, the multi-tonal noise making Soi's bones rattle in her body. She nearly retched in horror at its appearance.

"What in all of creation is this thing?!"

"Soi, it's just a hollow, like any other!" Yoruichi coached over the din of its roar. "You've got to focus now! Get into your battle mode, like you did before!" Soi tried to calm her racing heart and breathe, but she felt her blade shaking in her hand. Was fear part of this hollow's power?

Before she could react though, the hollow's reiatsu flared, making her gasp and nearly choke as the air was ripped from her lungs. For a fraction of a second it felt as though she were being crushed under the ocean, and she stared as the hollow opened its mouth and croaked out a single word in a deep, guttural voice.

"Bala."

Soi felt a flare and saw a small speeding object launch from one of the pockmarks in the hollow, heading straight for her chest. Her eyes widened as she froze, she couldn't move to block, couldn't dodge it in time…

And suddenly Yoruichi was in front of her, and she heard a cry and saw the spray of blood as she was blasted backwards right into Soi. The girls crumpled to the ground together, Yoruichi coughing up more blood. Soi screamed and dropped her zanpakuto, pulling the older girl carefully into her arms. Yoruichi coughed more and cracked open her yellow eyes, which were glazed over in pain.

"S-Shit, t-that hurts," she got out, a little blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Soi absently wiped the tears out of her eyes, breathing hard and staring down at the girl in her arms wordlessly. She reached a shaking hand down and brushed it along Yoruichi's cheek, as if to make sure the girl was still warm, still alive. Soi tucked a stray lock of purple hair behind the other girl's ear, then mechanically slid out from under her and laid her head gently down. Soi grabbed Suzumebachi off the ground with a dull scrape; it was now the only sound aside from her heavy breathing. As she slowly stepped away from Yoruichi, a light breeze began to blow around the girl, which quickly turned into a tiny gale strong enough to send her braids whipping behind her like two angry snakes. Soi's hand tightened on her sword until her knuckles turned white, and without warning she screamed with such raw fury that her reiatsu nearly exploded from her, engulfing her in yellow flames. The cobblestone beneath her cracked and shattered, the dust swirling into the shape of a monstrous demon head before dissolving into what looked like a swarm of hornets. Her eyes glowed a feral yellow and she held her sword straight out to the side, her voice just barely above a whisper but so strong and terrible that had Kenpachi Zaraki (who was currently wandering Rukongai with a little pink haired bundle of energy) heard it, even he would have thought twice about drawing his sword.

"Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi."

The ensuing explosion looked like a solar flare to Yoruichi, who had to close her eyes and look away from the other girl. When she could see again, Soi was standing motionless, a detailed sleeve on her right forearm with a wicked stinger attached to her middle finger by a thin chain. Suddenly the hollow screamed; Yoruichi had to blink because Soi had moved so fast that for a moment there appeared to be two of her. The stinger impaled the monster's largest eye, sending blood and fluid spraying. A black butterfly began to form, but had barely blossomed before Soi drew back and struck again, causing the hollow to seize up and jerk hard before shrieking and exploding in a shower of dust. Yoruichi gasped as the dust took the form of dozens of little bees and butterflies, which danced around Soifon as they drifted to the ground, leaving little trails of crystalline dust behind them.

"Beautiful," she whispered, before the pain became too much and she slipped into darkness.


	11. AN

I absolutely HATE posting announcements as chapters cause it gets you guys' hopes up for nothing, and for that I'm sorry. But I feel you need to know why this chapter is taking so long to get out.

I'm sick. Very sick. Like, this-has-got-to-be-food-poisoning sick. I'm probably in the negatives in terms of caloric intake and I'm scared to eat anything cause I don't want to add throwing up to the number of ways food's been escaping me. Yesterday was the worst day, today I'm doing slightly better, but I'm also cold and shivery and scared that I'm getting a fever to top it all off. Once I'm not half dead I'll start working again, kays? Really sorry it's taking so long.. -cries- hate bein' sick..


	12. Silver Linings

it feels good to not be so sick anymore! thank you so amazingly much to everyone who wished me better health, your kind words made so much of a difference: **envy01, Lioness020, DemonSong10, Bad one, seesawing, XxZeroKiryuuxX, AlterEgoErin, M80theWOLF, Masashi5920, Yoru Hana1, Bad Girl762, Yorusoi, yoruichichick7, BladeMaster357, manana, BioDragon.** This chapter AND the next is dedicated entirely to you guys, and i talked the girls into a rather nice ending for this chapter too! -laughs-

that being said, next chapter is going to be the final one. I've got the ending planned out quite well, and hopefully the girls will stick to what i have in mind, hehe. i'm sorry this is kinda a short chapter, but i needed a bridge from Yoruichi's (unexpectedly) severe injury to where i plan to leave us at the end. the next chapter will probably be nearly double the length of this one, at least, so we all get sent off with a nice full chapter. I'll get working on it real soon, cause i've got a plot idea i really want to explore for a new story. if anyone likes harry potter and H.P. Lovecraft mythos stories, you might want to author alert me in the next few weeks. -grins-

okay, on with the show! enjoy!

* * *

Yoruichi awoke slowly, stirring just a little before cracking one eye open slightly. Her sleep-blurred vision informed her that she was in her room, tucked warmly into her futon. The play of shadows against the midday light shifted, alerting her to another presence with her.

"The sleeping princess finally awakens," Urahara drawled from his perch on the windowsill. "And here I was beginning to think she'd need a magic kiss."

"Try it and I'll tear those lips right off," the girl groused, stretching lightly before hissing in pain. She reached down to her torso and felt thick bandages wrapped around her middle.

"It's been two days already," Urahara said quietly. "Quite a bit of work to get that thing out of there, mind you. A little bit up and to the left and it would have hit your heart. It just barely missed your lungs as is." Yoruichi paled slightly, laying back down and staring at the ceiling.

"Guess there wouldn't be any waking up from that, would there?"

"Nope."

A few silent minutes passed, Urahara staring idly out the window while his old friend digested the information. After a little, he stood up and walked to the exit, pausing in the doorway and speaking without looking back.

"She's asleep right now, I had to drug her a bit because she was refusing to rest until you woke up. Probably shouldn't have reminded her that I had no clue when that would be," he chuckled lightly as he rubbed a lump on the back of his head. "I believe she's ahead of you by about eight now. I'd suggest you have her meditate on whatever skill her shikai grants; I felt the hollow's reiatsu from here, and if she destroyed one of that level now, she'll be as strong as us in time." The man made to leave again.

"Hey."

Urahara stopped and turned his head, his eyes just visible under the brim of his hat.

"Thanks," Yoruichi said quietly. _'For everything,'_ her eyes silently added. Urahara flashed a small lopsided grin and was gone, leaving the girl to her thoughts about a small black haired guardian angel.

* * *

It was several hours later before the door slammed open and a black robed blur exploded into the room, instantly in its knees and facedown by Yoruichi's head.

"I'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorryYoruichi-sa-"

"Soifon, finish that last word and I'll give you something to be sorry about," Yoruichi gritted out. She instantly regretted it as Soi turned her tearstained face up to meet hers.

"B-But I failed you," she whispered brokenly. "I was supposed to protect you, no matter what… I was supposed to and I didn't and then you got hurt and wouldn't wake up and Urahara said he didn't know when you would and you were bleeding and weren't getting better and-"

"Soi?"

"H-Huh?"

"You're rambling."

"I-I know." Both girls chuckled lightly, Soi's coming out more like a sinusy sob.

"Soi, I first want to remind you that it was my choice to protect you. _My choice_, do you understand?" Yoruichi waited for a nod from the crying girl before continuing. "If the attack had been at me, would you have done the same?"

"Of course!" Soi exclaimed without hesitation, making Yoruichi smile warmly.

"And would you have felt that it was my fault you were hurt?"

"Well, no, but-"

"And why would you do something like that for me?"

"Because I l-" Both girls froze, staring at each other with wide eyes as blushes slowly grew on their cheeks. After what felt like hours, Yoruichi coughed and bravely pressed on.

"B-Because we're… i-important to each other, right?"

"Right," Soi answered, a little too quickly to sound casual.

_'Smooth, Soi…'_

_**"You could just lean over and kiss her, you know."**_

_'Can't you be serious for twelve seconds?!'_

_**"I **__**was**__** being serious…"**_

_'…'_

"W-Well Soi," Yoruichi continued, looking down shyly and blushing faintly again, "my reasons for what I did are the same as yours would be… S-So, no more blaming yourself, understand?" A smile slowly spread across Soi's face as she nodded.

"H-Hai, Yoruichi-sama," she stammered out around a joyful laugh, tears of a different kind falling down her cheeks. The older girl smiled in return and nodded.

"Good. Now, lay down with me and keep a poor injured girl company, will ya?" Soi blushed but was all too happy to comply, easing gently under the covers with her mentor. She longed to cuddle tightly against the other girl but refrained from doing so out of fear of hurting her. The pair lay silently for a few minutes before Soi spoke up.

"What was your other reason?"

"Huh?"

"You said you first wanted to remind me it was your choice, so that means you had other reasons, right?"

"Oh. Umm, I forgot," she said blankly, making Soi sweatdrop. "But it was sure the fast track to getting you in bed with me, wasn't it?"

"W-What?!"

"Oh lighten up, you prude! And could you get candy cane hat in there to make me some soup when you get the chance? Surgery takes a lot out of you…"

"Surgery?! He told me it wasn't that serious!"

"Whelp, from what these bandages are telling me, he was inside me at some point."

"…"

"Soi?"

"We're going to need a new set of rice bowls in about ten minutes."

"Soi, get back in here!"

* * *

Yoruichi recovered slowly but surely. Two days later she was finally up and moving around again, although she could handle little more than walking to the kitchen for meals before needing to sit down and rest. The girls had reverted to a shy kind of tension whenever they were in a room together; both knew the truth of the other's feelings but neither knew exactly what to do next. Matters weren't helped by Urahara's knowing looks and saucy winks either.

"OWW! Dammit, what was that one for?!"

"If I hear one more joke about the many meanings of the word 'cat' I'll start finding bigger things to throw," Soi ground out, glaring daggers at the researcher. Urahara squeaked and scrambled out of the room, one hand on his head to keep his hat in place. Yoruichi just chuckled and shook her head.

"Was that really necessary?"

"No, but it was fun," Soi admitted, a small but wicked grin on her face. Yoruichi rolled her eyes and giggled, letting the issue die.

"How goes the work on your shikai?" she asked seriously. Soi grimaced a little and shrugged.

"Well, I finally understand what it does," she explained. "It's just a matter of maintaining the ability." At Yoruichi's questioning gaze Soi smiled and continued, thinking about how cute the other girl looked when curious. "Suzumebachi kills its target if it strikes the same place twice – the first strike creates a crest, and the second strike destroys the target completely. Right now though, I can only hold one crest at a time, and they fade after about 5 minutes," she finished dejectedly. Yoruichi nodded appreciatively and squeezed Soi's shoulder gently, wishing she was healthy enough to do more. _'Give it another day or two,'_ she reminded herself.

"Soi, that's a very amazing power, and you should be extremely proud of it." The purple haired girl grinned inside as Soi blushed adorably. "An ability like that is going to take a rather long time to master, but when you do master it, I have every confidence that you'll be as strong as I am." Soi stared at her in disbelief.

"_At least _as strong as I am," Yoruichi pressed on. Soi sputtered incredulously and attempted to deny the praise, but was silenced as Yoruichi scooted closer (with some effort) and planted a small, gentle kiss on her cheek.

"I'll be right here to help you the whole way, I promise," she whispered gently, wrapping her arm around Soi's waist and laying her head down on the girl's shoulder. Soifon was scared her blush would catch Yoruichi's hair on fire, but she gently hugged the girl back as she laid her head down atop her spiky violet locks.

"I think I feel a bit better now," Yoruichi said quietly, almost to herself. She gazed out a window idly, noticing the clouds gathering, and suppressed a shiver at their dark gray color.

_'But if that's a storm coming, I don't know if that'll last for long,'_ she thought worriedly as she rested in her best friend's embrace.


	13. The Dark and the Dawn

weeeeeell, i sat down and worked all day to get this out for you guys. i'm sorry it's taken so long, i've had a hard time finding the drive to get this done, just couldn't get into it. i think it turned out good though, once again the characters kind of came to life and did their own thing, but it ended exactly how i hoped it would.

i want to really thank everyone who's stuck with me through this and enjoyed it. this has been my most popular story to date, and it makes me feel really good to have written something that you all enjoy. the next thing i plan to write is a harry potter/H.P. Lovecraft crossover, which i'll probably wait to post until after it's mostly written. if it sounds like something interesting to you, author alert me and you'll know when it's out. thanks again everyone, see you around i hope!

* * *

Yoruichi's estimate of the weather was both right and wrong. The storm came four days later, just after what would have been sunset.

Locals would say later that it was the worst storm they had seen in decades, with the pounding winds, sheets of rain that blew sideways, pitch black clouds, and thunder that actually managed to crack several windows in Karakura. Currently though, the storm was still in its crescendo, and a short black-haired girl was wandering down the hallway in the Urahara Shoten, a happy smile on her face and the rumbling of approaching thunder a far cry from more important thoughts.

Soi hummed to herself and thought bemusedly of finding the maid dress tucked away in her closet and having a little modeling session for a certain someone, but at the last moment she changed her mind at stopped short at Yoruichi's door instead. She knocked only briefly before entering the room, and the smile quickly fell from her face.

Yoruichi was sitting in the right corner of her room, her knees pulled up and hugged to her chest. Her mouth was partway open, as though to tell whoever was at the door to get out, and her eyes were wide and scared. She was cut off by a rather loud and close rumble of thunder, which cut her off and sent her diving for her futon and under the covers. It took Soi a few seconds to register what she was seeing.

"Y-Yoruichi, what's-?"

"Nothing Soi! U-umm, I feel a little sick! Yeah, that's it! So you should just go before you catch-"

Lightning struck close by, cutting Yoruichi off and making her cower with a little scream. Soi all but ran over and knelt down, reaching gingerly out to touch the quivering lump under the covers. The other girl jumped as if struck, making Soi pull her hand back quickly.

"Yoruichi, tell me what's wrong," Soi said gently. A purple haired head poked out from the covers, the golden eyes glassy with tears. Soi's face froze in shock; she'd never seen Yoruichi cry before, not once.

"I-I'm scared of thunderstorms, alright?" Yoruichi got out miserably. "I hate them, I hate thunder! I can't help it, they just- ahhhh!"

As thunder shook the house, the terrified girl buried herself in the blankets again, shaking and nearly crying in earnest now. Soi wordlessly eased herself down with her back against the wall and gathered the shaking bundle up, holding Yoruichi close in her arms.

"I'll stay with you Yoru-kun, it'll be okay," she whispered, her shyness overcome by her desire to make everything better.

"B-But, I-I don't want you to s-see me like this," Yoruichi choked out from inside the blankets. The storm was getting much worse now, the rain falling in heavy sheets which droned against the roof and beat on the walls.

"I don't want you to have to go through this alone," Soi responded, squeezing her mentor closer as another blast of thunder rocked the house. Yoruichi screamed and cowered closer, shaking harder. After a few minutes, however, her tearstained face slowly poked out of the blankets, looking up at Soi.

"O-Okay, Soi," she whispered. "I trust you…" The former captain lay her head down on Soifon's chest and closed her eyes, listening for the other girl's heartbeat over the din of the storm.

"I trust you too, Yoruichi," Soi whispered in return, rubbing the other girl's back softly. "I know you'll get through this, we'll do it together."

"Okay…"

The two girls stayed like that for the better part of two hours as the storm crashed and raged outside. Yoruichi cowered at each crash of thunder, occasionally whimpering at the worst ones, but she didn't scream anymore. As the storm began to die down, the purple haired captain, unshaken by all but the power of the weather, peeked up at her knight in shining armor. Soifon was sitting with her back against the wall, her slate gray eyes unmoving and focused on the window as if challenging the storm that dared to frighten someone precious to her. Yoruichi managed the barest of smiles before closing her eyes, the toll of constant fear on her body finally wearing her down to sleep.

_'I was wrong,'_ she thought to herself before drifting off. _'I still feel better thanks to her… I think I kinda like storms now, just a little…'_

* * *

Yoruichi woke up the next morning to bright sunshine filtering in through the window; if she didn't know better she'd think last night was just a bittersweet dream. Looking down at who she was snuggled up with, however, made her completely aware that it was all real. Yoruichi smiled at the small girl who was currently holding her. Her hair was messy and sticking up a bit, and she was snoring very lightly. Yoruichi placed a soft kiss on her forehead, making Soi mumble something unintelligible and shift around some before sinking deeper into sleep.

'_She must have stayed up all night for me,' _Yoruichi said to herself as she carefully extricated herself from Soi's arms. The mere thought lit her face up in a wide smile and she nearly skipped out of the room, feeling oddly light and happy. At the end of the hallway Urahara was slumped down on the couch in the living room, his hat obscuring his face and his arms crossed. He tilted his head a little and peeked at her from under the brim.

"How'd you sleep last night?"

"Surprisingly well," she replied honestly, leaning against the wall and stretching.

"I was worried," he said seriously, "I would have checked on you, but I know how much you hate having people around during those things." He poked his hat on straight, giving her a knowing look. Yoruichi rolled her eyes and walked for the kitchen, hoping her blush didn't show.

"You love her, don't you?"

Yoruichi froze in her tracks, looking straight ahead and saying nothing.

"Ever since I've known you, you've been a bit of a flirt," he continued, his voice even and betraying none of his thoughts. "You'd joke and tease anyone who showed you interest, but you always made sure they knew you weren't interested in return once they started to push. I always told myself, 'Yoruichi, in love? No way,' but you really are, aren't you?"

Yoruichi swallowed hard and took a deep breath. _'I was always scared that he liked me,'_ she thought to herself. _'He's my oldest friend, I hate that I'll have to hurt him like this…'_ She turned to face the man she ran away from her old life for…

And found a genuine, honest smile gracing his face.

"I'm really happy for you," he said quietly, smiling a bit more at her speechless expression. "What, did you think I was ready to make my confession of undying love?" He laughed a bit, but sobered when he saw her expression.

"There was a time," he began, scooting over to give her room to sit if she chose and looking away and into the past, "that I think I did, just a little. It was a long time ago though, and finally I figured that romance would just complicate things, I guess. I mean," he chuckled a little, still lost in his memories, "you were my very best friend, we were almost like twins growing up. I realized ages ago that you were more like family to me than anything. Besides, how could we have raised hell if you were busy bitching at me about how I don't talk about my emotions enough or something?" Yoruichi snorted out a laugh, not even caring that she was crying again.

"Oh Kisuke, you asshole…" He laughed along with her, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

"You know I don't talk about this stuff too much, but it felt really good to finally say that," he chuckled. Yoruichi rolled her eyes and jumped onto the couch, hugging her friend tight around his waist.

"Glad I could play psychologist for you then, you retard," she laughed out, relieved inside that everything had worked out so well. Urahara rapped a knuckle on her head and grinned.

"I declare that I get unlimited cat or fish jokes, your pick, a 5 second head start on under-the-breath comments at the end of breakfast, and I get to call you 'gay-bo' once, no, twice a month."

"Kisuke?" Yoruichi said, smiling sweetly. He gulped, trying to ease away from the girl who was still hugging him. He noted that the hug was becoming painfully tight.

"Y-Yes?"

"If you _ever_ call me that, I'll rip your testacles off and shove them down your throat so I can return the favor. Is that a fair deal for you, Captain Candy Cane?"

Kisuke went totally pale, but the slamming of a door at the end of the hall cut off his response. Yoruichi turned to look; Soi's door was closed now, where before it was open.

* * *

While two old friends were coming to an understanding over their special (albeit platonic) relationship, Soifon was stirring and slowly waking up. She looked around and smiled tiredly when she found herself in Yoruichi's bed still.

_'I stayed up half the night for her, but it was worth it.'_

_**"I'd tell you two to get a room, but it appears you already have…"**_

_'Do you absolutely have to insert your two cents every time I think about Yoruichi?'_ Soi thought with exasperation.

_**"Yes I do, I'm your relationship coach**_!" Suzumebachi chirped happily. Soi rolled her eyes and sat up.

_'Whatever, when will I be able to keep a second crest active using you, and how long will I be able to make it last? I have an idea but it'll be pointless if I can't hold them for more than 5 minutes.'_

_**"Ooooo, I think I know what you're thinking!"**_

_'Of course you do, you invade my private thoughts regularly, you hentai bug…'_

_**"Hush. And since you asked so **__**nicely**__**, making a crest without making it a trigger for the two-strike kill technique should be pretty simple. In fact, it should stick around indefinitely, since it won't have the reiatsu in it that acts as a key for the second blow to take effect."**_

_'Good, I'll have to talk to her about it, she might not even want to…'_ Soi tugged a robe on over her underwear (she was good enough to not sleep naked with Yoruichi in her bed) and opened the door, stepping out into the hall.

_**"Soifon, you of all people know better than.. ohhh dear.."**_

The sight that greeted her at the end of the hall sent her running for her room, slamming the door hard behind her. Yoruichi was on the couch with Kisuke, hugging him rather tightly.

* * *

Yoruichi jumped up and walked quickly down the hall, realizing just how things might have looked just then and hoping to avert a disaster.

_'This feels like a scene from one of my romance novels,' _she grumbled in her head.

"This feels like a scene from one of her bad romance novels," Kisuke muttered under his breath as he got up to start breakfast. Yoruichi tripped and looked incredulously over her shoulder, shaking her head as she reached the door and knocking lightly.

"Soi, are you in there?"

No response. Yoruichi knocked again.

"Soi, I'm coming in, okay?" The former captain slid the door open and stepped in to find Soi on her side in her futon facing away from the door.

"Is there something I can help you with, Yoruichi-_sama_?" Soi bit out savagely, fighting back the urge to cry.

Yoruichi winced. Okay, maybe she had that one coming.

"Soi, if I can just explain…"

"There's nothing that needs to be said, Yoruichi-sama, please leave."

_"O-Okay, Soi, I trust you…"_

_"I trust you too, Yoruichi."_

The words from just last night made the whole thing seem like an impossible irony to Soi. She felt used, too confused by what she had seen to even feel heartbroken, just completely blank.

Yoruichi growled a little to herself. _'This is not going to turn into one of those damn stereotyped drama twists I read in all my books,'_ she thought as she crossed the room in a few strides and hauled the smaller girl to her feet.

Soi was jerked out of her pained thoughts as she felt herself being pulled up, but before she could utter a word of protest Yoruichi was kissing her, and she was kissing back, and nothing else mattered anymore. She felt Yoruichi's tongue along her lips begging for entry and she complied, purring as it stroked and caressed her own. Soi thought she was melting as she sank into her captain's strong lithe arms, and a warm pleasant numbness was spreading from her lips and from the girl's nails which were digging gently into her back. After what felt like an eternity cut cruelly short Soi felt Yoruichi's lips gently part from her own.

"You told me that nothing needed to be said," she said quietly, "I hope that told you all you needed to know. I've done everything I can to show you Soi, all that's left is to tell you that I-"

"No."

Yoruichi froze, looking into Soi's eyes and hoping she wouldn't see hurt or rejection there. Her fears were unfounded though; the smaller girl's iron eyes were alight with life. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and the corners of her mouth were turned up in a smile that was small but somehow completely filled with joy. Yoruichi had never seen a more beautiful sight.

"You took my first kiss, you're not taking this too," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "I love you, Yoruichi Shihoin. From the moment I met you I worshipped you, but ever since I got to truly know you I've loved you." Yoruichi mentally smacked herself for crying this many times in 24 hours, but her smile was brilliant enough to make Soi's knees weak.

"I love you too Soifon, I've never been in love before and I was a little scared, but I don't think I could be happier." _'Jeez, this really is turning into one of my novels,'_ she laughed to herself. _'Happily ever after isn't so bad after all…'_

_**"Congratulations,"**_ a voice muttered in her head before falling silent. Yoruichi's eyes widened and she looked around briefly, before mentally muttering a small 'thanks' in return. They didn't get along so well but maybe her zanpakuto wasn't a complete jerk after all. She was drawn back out of her thoughts when she saw Soi standing in front of her with Suzumebachi in her finger.

"Do you trust me?" she said quietly. Yoruichi just nodded, watching wordlessly as Soi reached out and lifted her shirt before pressing the stinger carefully into her belly button. Yoruichi watched in awe as a beautiful black butterfly blossomed on her stomach, and she reached down and slowly touched it, looking up at Soi for an explanation. The girl was blushing shyly as she took the weapon off.

"It won't hurt even if I accidentally sting you there again sometime, and it's permanent unless you don't want it," she rambled. "I just thought, you know, it's pretty and maybe you'd like it…"

"Soi?" The girl in question looked into the former captain's eyes, which were glowing with a strange light. It made Soi shiver in a way she'd never felt before.

"Y-Yes?" The last word the smaller girl would speak intelligently for hours stuttered out of her before she was grabbed and dragged forcibly down onto the bed.

"Call me Yoruichi-sama one more time…"


End file.
